A Trial of Will
by aboz567
Summary: After finally winning a league, Ash returns home to relax for a while before setting out on a new adventure. With many of his old friends in Pallet to congratulate him, life cannot be better for Ash Ketchum. But when true evil arises in the New team Rocket, will he be able to save the person who brought him into this world? Advance vs Pearl vs Amour. Character Death and Dark themes
1. Victory and Feelings

**A Trial of Will**

**A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to my first first story, "A Trial of Will!" I can't wait until this story really takes off. Anyway, I just want to straiten a few things out before you start reading. First off, this takes place about 2 years after Kalos. For the sake of the story, Kanto thorough Johto toke only one where as Hoenn/Battle frontier and Sinnoh took 2 years respectively with Unova again taking only one year. Also May and Dawn will both be the same age of 17 in this story with the reason being Dawn waited a year to get her first pokemon (Meh... why not.) More character's ages will be revealed as they are introduced. Also, pokemon leagues take place every two years instead of every year.**

**8/16: I edited some minor grammatical mistakes.**

**Ash: 18**

**Brock: 24**

**Serena: 18**

**May:17**

**Dawn:17**

It seemed as though the cheers could be heard throughout the entire region. The people were comparable to thousands of explouds all using boomburst simultaneously. At the center of it all was the one and only, Ash Ketchum.

Standing on one end of the battle field, inside the newly refurbished Indigo Plateau was, of course, Ash. In front of him, looking a little worse for the wear but still standing, was his faithful Pokemon and best friend Pikachu. At the call made by the referee, Pikachu seemed to gain some new found energy and took off running towards Ash and jumped into his arms with a huge smile on his face.

At the same time, on the opposite side of the field was a boy slightly older than Ash with long purple hair and an expressionless look plastered on his face. Paul, as he was known, recalled his Torterra and quietly thanked it for all of his hard work.

Back on Ash's side of the field, the celebration was starting.

Ash had been frozen when the referee had said, "Torterra is unable to battle, which means Ash Ketchum from Pallet town is this years winner of the Indigo Plateau Conference!"

It was only when Pikachu catapulted into him that he came out of his stupor and finally realized what had just happened. He had done it. He had finally won a league.

"Pikachu! We did it! We Finally did! We won a pokemon league! Finally, our first step to becoming a pokemon master is complete!" Ash screamed to the yellow rodent.

"Pikachu Pikapi!"

Ash was to busy in his celebration to notice that Paul had made his way over to his side of the field. He coughed in order to get Ash's attention. Ash, hearing the cough, stopped his dancing around for a moment to see Paul standing in front of him.

"Well Ketchum, I can't say I'm too happy with the results, but I came over her to say congratulations. As much as it pains me to say it...the better man won today." Paul seemed to struggle a bit with his last words.

Ash just continued staring at Paul for a few seconds until offering him a handshake, "Paul. That was the greatest battle of my entire career as a pokemon trainer and I'm glad it was against a great battler and an even better friend."

At this, Paul actually smiled, something he still rarely did and grabbed Ash's hand for a shake.

Paul had changed drastically from when Ash first met him in Sinnoh, all say for the better. He stopped abusing his pokemon and actually started treating them right. It was this change, Ash believed, was the reason why Paul was his opponent in the finals. This change is also what made Ash and Paul such good friends.

After Kalos, the two met up again in Johto and upon seeing Paul's changes first hand, Ash had offered Paul the opportunity to travel with him, Brock and Serena. Paul thought it over a lot and eventually accepted, but only for a while.

During that time Ash and Paul became very close friends, realizing how much they had in common now that they weren't always at each others throats.

Paul and Ash went their separate ways after Johto however, due to Paul wanting to re challenge the Sinnoh league where as Ash wanted to go back through Unova. The two split up knowing that they had a great friend and rival in the other.

After the handshake, Paul had taken Ash's arm and raised it above his head, signifying that he was the champion. At this, the crowd went wild and many were touched by this great showing of sportsmanship.

At this point, Charles Goodshow made his way onto the field and on to the referee platform, microphone in hand.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I don't think I need to tell you all how incredible that battle was." Cheers erupted throughout the stadium.

Goodshow continued after the crowd noise had died down, "Now, at this time I would like to welcome up onto the podium, the winner of the Indigo Plateau Conference, Ash Ketchum!"

"Good luck up there bud. I'll see you in the locker room after the trophy presentation." With this said, Paul took his leave into the annals of the stadium.

Ash wasted no time in getting to Mr. Goodshow, who welcomed the young man with a handshake and a congratulations.

"Thanks you Mr. Goodshow! This is all so incredible!." Ash said as he eyes the massive crowd of over 100,000 people with an enormous smile gracing his features.

"You deserve it Ash. You really do" Goodshow responded as he turned to the microphone to address the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would now like to present Mr. Ketchum with the Indigo League trophy."

As this was said, a young man ran up the stairs of the podium with a large, golden trophy in his grasp. He handed the trophy to Ash and quickly took his leave.

Ash starred at the trophy with wide eyes. He truly couldn't believe it. After all of his hard work, all the times that he had come so close, he had finally taken the first step towards pokemon mastership. Ash couldn't help to think back to all of his near-victories. His 2nd place finish in the Kalos league followed by two more 2nd place finishes in both the Johto league and the Unova league. These losses no longer mattered however because here, now, Ash was holding the proof that he had won the Indigo Plateau Conference.

"Well Ash, do you have anything you would like to say to the crowed or maybe anyone who may be watching at home?" Goodshow asked Ash, who looked a little surprised at the question.

Ash moved until he was in front of the microphone, where he struggled to find something to say.

"Uhhh...ummm." Ash mumbled out before taking a deep breath and calming himself. "First off, I have to thank Paul for that incredible battle. A match like that is truly a once in a lifetime event." Ash paused as the audience cheered.

"I'm not sure how many of you have followed my career as a pokemon trainer but-" Ash was again cut off by the roaring of the crowd. Ash realized with all of his near-victories as well as his success over the orange league as well as the Kanto Battle Frontier, he was bound to have accumulated at least some fans, but Ash was definitely not expecting this kind of reception.

Ash laughed a bit as the crowd began to die down, "Okay, so it seems a lot of you know me, but that's beside the point. I'm the happiest man in the world right now, but I couldn't be where I am without the support of many people; too many to mention really, but I am going to try."

Ash couldn't help but give credit to all of his friends as his travels with all of them are what gave him the strength to be where he was right then.

"Misty Waterflower, the first person I met on my journey and one of my best friends. To all of you , she might just be the Cerulean City Gym leader, but to me she will always be the girl who's bike I fried and the person that was there for me when I needed her the most. And also the girl that taught me more than I can remember. For that, I thank you Misty." Ash finished looking directly at the camera.

"Next I want to acknowledge Brock Stone. The worlds first traveling pokemon doctor to most, but again, to me, he is my absolute best guy friend on the planet. He taught me so much and traveled with me for so long that our bond has grown deeper than friendship. Brock and I are brothers, and nothing less."

"Max Maple. I know most of you don't know of him yet but trust me, you will. With his knowledge of pokemon, there is no way he won't take the pokemon leagues by storm. He's only 14 now and hasn't done much in any big tournaments yet, but that kid taught me more about pokemon than anyone else I have ever met. His time will come, trust me on that.

"May Maple, the princess of Hoenn." The crowd cheered once again. "Yeah, she's amazing isn't she. Although she hasn't won a grand festival yet, she has made a huge impact on the world of coordinating, but she has made a much bigger impact on me. Like Misty, she was always there for me and sure, we would fight, but we would make up almost instantly. I can't help but smile every time I think of her and I can't wait until I get to see her again... whenever that may be. Oh and did I mention... I kind of accidentally destroyed her bike as well." this earned a laugh from the crowed.

"Only a few more, so bare with me." Ash requested of the crowed; however none of the crowed minded his long winded speech and was interested in learning more about the new champion.

"Next up is Dawn Berlitz. An excellent coordinator who I'm sure all of you have heard of. We met by total accident and I couldn't be happier that we did. Like May, I like to think I helped her along but really, she never needed my help. She was already amazing from the start. I can't help but be happy when I talk about her because she is just such a great person and I absolutely love that about you. I don't know when we will see each other again, but I hope it's soon." Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before continuing, "Oh and hehe...I kind of destroyed her bike as well."

This earned a roar of laughter from the crowd. No one could believe he destroyed three of his best friend's bikes.

Ash went on to talk kindly about Iris and Cilan as he did all the others before coming to his last personal thank you.

"And last but not least is Serena Yvonne. Me and her go all the way back to when we were just 6 years old. I helped her out of a jam and she never forgot. We didn't meet up again until two years ago but she has been by my side ever since. I can't thank her enough for all of the support she has given me over the years and I know she understands that I will always support her as well." Ash managed to spot her in the crowd as he continued. "She reminded me that I can never give up and I can't begin to repay her for all she has done for me. She is one of the most important people in my life and another of my best friends. Thank you Serena."

He was still looking at her but couldn't read her facial expressions as she was too far away.

"Anyway, I'm being told I now have the record for longest speech in Indigo history so I should probably get going, but thank you all for supporting me and watching me take my first step to become a pokemon master."

The crowd gave one more earsplitting cheer as Ash gave Goodshow one more handshake and walked into the locker room with Pikachu on his shoulder and his new trophy in hand.

"This still doesn't feel real, you know Pikachu?" Ash asked his electric friend while sitting in the empty locker room.

"Pika Pikachu" Pikachu said while nodding his head.

"_I wonder where Paul is" _Ash thought to himself. Just then, he saw his purple haired friend enter the locker room with a hamburger and a soda.

"There you are. I was wondering where you wondered off to." Ash said.

"Sorry. I got hungry, so I gave some kid an autograph for his hamburger and soda." Paul mumbled through his full mouth.

"Seriously Paul? Don't you think that's a little below you?" Ash questioned.

The only response he got was a shrug as he continued eating his burger. It was at this point that Ash heard a commotion from outside the locker room door.

"Hey let us through, we are friends of the winner!" The voice was muffled, but Ash could definitely make out Serena's voice. He rushed over to the door and swung it open, catching the eyes of the his friends Serena and Brock as well as the body guard keeping them out.

"Let them in, they're friends of mine.' Ash spoke sternly to the body guard who simply shrugged and moved aside, allowing Brock and Serena entry.

While walking through the door, Serena couldn't help but stick her tongue out at the 'mean bodyguard' as to taunt him. Ash saw this and couldn't help but let out a giggle. Ash closed the door and made his way over to the couches that now occupied Serena and Brock.

Before his friends could get a word out, Ash spoke, "Hey guys, I'm going to hit up the bathroom real quick, be right back."

Ash entered the restroom a took stance in front of one of the sinks. He turned on the faucet and let the cold water run onto his hands. He then brought his hands to his face to rejuvenate himself. He then brought his head up until he was starring himself down in the mirror.

"You finally did it Ash. You've finally done something with yourself." Ash said to himself, smirking all the while.

He went to the restroom in order to just be alone for a moment to let his win really sink in. Now that he was alone and had some time to reflect he could definitely say that this was the best day of his life thus far.

Satisfied, Ash left the bathroom to return to his friends however, he was suddenly stopped in his tracks when he was hit by something fairly hard. Ash looked down and saw a head on his chest and felt arms wrap around his body. It turned out this "something" was actually Serena who had ran up to Ash at full speed and tackled him into a hug.

Only looking up to meet Ash's eyes and not separating from the hug, Serena began to speak, "Ash I can't believe you finally did it! After all of those close calls, it is finally your time to shine and I couldn't be prouder of you. And what you said during your speech...about me it was just... so amazing. I-I didn't know you thought so highly of me." By this time, Serena had a noticeable blush on her face and released Ash from the hug in order to try and hide it.

Ash responded immediately, "Of course I do Serena! You helped me so much throughout my journey. I wouldn't be where I am right now without you. And I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me. I meant every word I said up there." Ash finished with his signature smile.

Serena's face turned even redder at the praise from Ash, but it's not like she was wasn't used to it by now. If Ash could have seen Serena more closely when he was talking about her at the trophy presentation, he would have noticed another massive blush on her face, paired with a beautiful smile.

It was no secret that Serena had a crush on Ash. Naturally, with being around him so much, she could help but be great at hiding her blushes. Traveling with Ash had been the best years of Serena's life thus far and she didn't plan to abandon him any time soon.

"Hey, congratulations...brother." Brock chimed in with a grin plastered on his tanned face.

Ash could help but smile himself at this. What he said was true, him and Brock were basically brothers. Out of all of his companions, Brock had been with Ash the longest and he wouldn't soon forget everything the older man had done for him over the years.

After Brock's departure before heading to Unova, Ash couldn't help but feel sad about not traveling with someone so close to him anymore; these feelings were also shared by Brock. But luckily, due Brock's love for travel and friendship with Ash, once he became an official pokemon doctor, he decided to take his practice on the road. This allowed him to visit places that may not have there own pokemon doctors. Brock was a godsend to most of his patients.

Becoming the first traveling pokemon doctor not only allowed Brock to do what he loved, but also allowed him to travel with his best friend. All in all, everything was working out great.

"Thanks Brock-O. The same goes for you as well, I meant every word I said out there." Ash said, pointing in the direction of the arena.

"Don't worry Ash, I had no doubt in my mind that you were being genuine up there and I've got to say, I'm really glad to have another brother." Brock responded.

Ash smile widened as he walked to Brock and pulled him into a quick, manly hug.

Off to the side, Paul was trying to talk to Serena, but she was obviously ignoring him. Serena didn't like Paul very much even though he was one of Ash's good friends. During the time they all traveled together, Ash spent most of his time hanging out and training with Paul and she couldn't help but blame Paul for taking Ash's attention away from her.

Paul was used to this treatment by now, but he he knew there was one subject that would get her to talk, "Come on Serena, why don't you just tell him already. I really don't know what you're waiting for at this point."

Serena blushed red and glared at Paul, a little surprised by his words. She pulled him further away from her two companions and began to speak, "SHHHH! Do you want him to hear you." Serena was pretty angry at Paul for being so reckless.

"Serena, you know this is ridiculous. Just tell him already.!" Paul said the last sentence much louder than his earlier one.

"Tell who what Serena?" Ash asked innocently, honestly having know idea what was going on.

Serena looked mortified but tried to act quick, "Oh...I...uh... nothing Ash, just forget about it okay?" Ash, never being one to pry, just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his conversation with Brock. Serena breathed a sigh of relief at getting out of that situation as she turned her attention back to Paul.

"Paul, don't ever do that again, or you won't like what happens." Most of the time, there was no way you could be afraid of Serena; she was way too cute to be considered a real threat, but the look she gave Paul was enough to strike fear into him. Seeing her mission of instilling fear into him was complete, Serena sighed before speaking again, "Listen Paul, I'm just not ready. I-I really just don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Serena, when will you be ready? It has been two years and you still say you're not ready? If you ever want this to happen, then you have to make a move because Arceus knows that Ash won't." Paul responded, actually trying to help the blonde girl now.

Serena sighed, "Maybe you're right... I promise that I will do it soon though, how about that?"

"Sounds good to me, just make sure you actually follow through with it, you don't want to end up losing him to someone else."

Serena gulped at the thought of losing Ash and was determined to one day soon, gain the courage to tell him how she truly feels about him.

_Petalburgh City, Hoenn Region_

"May would you shut up about Ash and just watch his battle?" Max yelled to his sister.

May laughed nervously and responded, "Hehe... yeah, sorry about that." She really was sorry about interrupting the match with her talking, but she just couldn't help it. One of her best friends was looking like he was on his way to winning his first pokemon league, and she was excited to say the least.

Around her sat both of her parents, Norman and Caroline. Her friend and rival Solidad as well as her rival Drew, who appeard to be not the least bit interested in the match. May had also allowed glaceon, who let herself out of her pokeball as soon as Pikachu hit the field, to watch the match

Drew instead of watching the match, was more interested in watching May. As she grew up, she became even more beautiful. Her face had matured from that of a young girl to that of a woman. Her figure had slimmed down and let's just say that puberty had been...very good to her. Her chest was very large for a girl her age and her rear was small and cute. Her body made a perfect hourglass shape that would make most guys drool and Drew was no exception. However, Drew was too drowned in jealousy at the moment to be enamored by May's appearance

Drew couldn't help but be envious at May's admiration towards the boy on TV. May talking so highly of Ash pushed him over the edge, "hmph, even If he does win, he will always be a loser. I can't believe you think so highly of him and attribute him for making you who you are May. That should be my honor. MINE! Hell, I'm surprised he even made it passed the first round, let alone the finals!"

Everyone in the room was now looking at Drew. Solidad looked mostly surprised while Max, Norman and Caroline seemed furious. But no one looked as angry as May did. Once she left Ash to travel with her rivals she really struggled in her contests. Without Ash's support, it seemed as though May had lost it. In fact, May hadn't even gained enough ribbons that year to enter the grand festival. However, a late night phone call with Ash changed all that and after Johto, she was back and better than ever, knowing that Ash would always support her, no matter where he was.

When she failed to reach the grand festival, she didn't hear the end of it from Drew. He would constantly berate her and make her feel bad after a win OR a loss. And there was always one person she blamed for May not performing well, and that person was Ash Ketchum. He would talk about how it was Ash's fault for making her battle too much like a trainer and not a coordinator. Even when he wasn't scolding May after a contest, he still always brought up how Ash was bad in one way or another.

May always defended her best friend but Drew would never stop. Almost immediately in Johto, she got completely sick of Drew. May would now never accept his roses or his advice while training for contests. For that, she relied on Solidad and the old teachings of Ash. Drew knew his ways were pushing May away, and even though he had a massive crush on her, he couldn't stop. After all, he was just being his own shitty self

May was glaring daggers at Drew. How dare he come into her house, uninvited, and continue to bad mouth Ash, especially in a moment as big as this one. "You know what Drew, you're the only loser I see here. Not only did you follow me and Solidad to each region we visited after Johto, even though we clearly didn't want you to, but you come into MY house and bad mouth my best friend."

"I gave you another chance to change when we met up halfway through this past year in Hoenn, but you just couldn't stop not only berating me but Ash as well."

"I wasn't berating you, I was only trying to help you become a better coordinator-" Drew tried to jump in but was cut off by a fuming May.

"Trying to help me? Is that what you call constantly telling me that I'm a bad coordinator, that I will never amount to anything to anything in the world of coordinating?! But I proved you wrong didn't I? When I won this years Hoenn grand festival just yesterday!"

"You're taking what I said out of context-" Drew was again cut off.

"No I'm not Drew" May now had a venom in her voice that was intimidating everyone in the room. "You want to know how I know for a fact that these are exactly what you told me? It's because those words hurt Drew! I thought you were my friend, but all you did was hurt not only me but Ash as well."

Drew tried to but in yet again, "But May, I am your friend. In fact, I want to be more than frie-"

"Are you Fucking kidding me!" May yelled. Her parents were shocked at her foul language but decided to let it slide since this boy really deserved to be chewed out. "You actually expect me to like you at all after all you have done. You have had enough second chances Drew, our friendship is officially over."

At this, Drew looked like he was about to cry. Caroline, who had bottling up her anger during this entire argument decided now was a good time to hop in. "Drew, May is our daughter and anyone that isn't nice to her deserves no place in her life. And as for Ash, he is like a son to us and I have had just about enough of you bad talking him! You are no longer welcome in this house or anywhere near my daughter!"

By now, Drew let a few tears stroll down his face. He should have known this was coming. He was rarely nice to anyone and that included those he called friends. But Drew refused to change and just continued to be an asshole. He turned to leave, at least for the time being, before being halted by May's sweet voice.

"Wait, Drew don't go...not yet." may said in the sweetest voice she could. Drew felt a glimmer of hope flutter through his chest, but that feeling was crushed by May's next words, "I want you to watch Ash win. I want you to see how much better he is than you."

Drew was broken by now, but he decided to stay as he wanted to spend as much time with May as possible before likely never talking to her again. Everyone turned their attention toward the TV as Pikachu delivered the final blow to Paul's Torterra with a well placed Iron tail.

When the referee announced Ash as the winner, the entire room, save for Drew, went absolutely crazy cheering for Ash. May looked at Drew with a satisfied smirk on her face as she saw the defeat in Drew's eyes.

Drew was frozen at the moment, trapped in the gaze of May's beautiful sapphire eyes, even though they were filled with malice. May stood glaring at Drew until she heard here name called by Ash on the TV. She quickly turned her head to see Ash, trophy in hand, giving a speech.

""_May Maple, the princess of Hoenn. Yeah, she's amazing isn't she. Although she hasn't won a grand festival yet, she has made a huge impact on the world of coordinating..."_

_"He must not have heard yet"_ May thought to herself.

What Ash said next surprised her to no extent, _"but she has made a much bigger impact on me..."_

May couldn't hide the goofy smile on her face as she heard this.

"_Like Misty, she was always there for me and sure, we would fight, but we would make up almost instantly. I can't help but smile every time I think of her and I can't wait until I get to see her again... whenever that may be."_

May curled her hand into a fist and put it next to her heart as she listened to his kind words. Ash always knew how to make someone feel special.

Drew stood completely still, silently watching as Ash praised May. If he wasn't already broken, he was when he saw May. She had a huge smile on her face and looked happier than she ever did around anyone else.

After Ash finished his speech, Norman walked over to Drew, "I think it's time for you to leave." His voice was forceful and intimidating, causing Drew to abandon all hope of trying to mend things with May for the time being and leave the household. On his way out the front door, Drew vowed to himself that he would get May back... no matter what it took.

Back inside, Ash had finished his speech about May and had moved on, but May was no longer paying attention to what he was saying. She was still caught up in the sweet words he had said about her. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, it was just Ash being Ash, but she just couldn't get over him. He had credited so much to her. May was caught thinking why she had ever left the companionship of Ash and was regretting every minute spent away.

Just seeing Ash again made her yearn to see him again. He had matured a lot since they had last seen each other in person back in Sinnoh. He now had a muscular build and deep but comforting voice. His face was a lot less childish looking and he was noticeably taller. He towered over Goodshow and May guessed him to be somewhere around 6'4". May couldn't believe she was thinking it but...she thought Ash looked incredible. And the more he watched him, the more she wanted to see him again.

May was so busy in her own little world that she didn't notice Max tap her on the shoulder. She finally came back to reality when Max began to speak. "Hey May, you alright? You're kind of spacing out."

May blushed at her thoughts and shook them out of her head before responding, "Yeah Max, I'm fine. I'm just so happy that Ash is finally one step closer to his dream!"

Max seemed to accept the answer as he was feeling the same way but both Norman and Caroline had watched may the entire time she had been watching Ash. It was obvious to her parents what she was thinking about and both parent's faces were plastered with smirks. As Max left the family room to go brag to his friends that one of his good friends had won the Indigo league, Caroline walked over to May and sat next to her on the couch.

"You must be very excited may. You win your first grand festival and the next day, your best friend wins a league. I'd say that's an incredible two days." Caroline spoke with a smile.

"You can say that again! Of course I'm happy that I won and all but I can't help bu t feel even happier that Ash is finally one step closer to his dream." May had a huge smile on her face.

Caroline's face dropped the smile for a moment as she figured out how to word what she would say next, "Honey, I'm really sorry about Drew. I know you told me he was sometimes mean to you and Ash but I had no idea."

May shrugged and gave a sad smile. "It's okay mom, really. I think maybe I was just spoiled by how Ash always supported me. I mean, I guess Drew was trying to help me as well, it's just...well, he sucked at it."

"And he's an asshole." Caroline said seriously before both mother and daughter broke out into laughter.

"You can say that again. I don't need a toxic friend like him when I have others like Solidad over here who truly helps me out." May said, gesturing to her good friend sitting to the right of the two women in a chair. "I just can't believe that Drew was about to tell me that he wanted to be more than friends. Honestly, I don't even like him as a friend right now."

Caroline plastered a smirk on her face as she began to speak, "Haha, yeah I don't blame you. And plus, I think your heart already belongs to someone else..."

May looked at her mother quizzically, "What do you mean-" May was interrupted by her mother gesturing her head towards the TV which housed a picture of Ash with the words 'champion' written beneath it.

May's face instantly went deep red as she realized her mother's implication and her previous thoughts about Ash just moments ago. May began to speak, albeit very shyly, "Mom, I-I don't like Ash...like that. He is my best friend and that's it." Even though May had said it, she wasn't sure what she was currently feeling toward her raven haired friend.

Caroline just smirked at her daughter, "Whatever you say dear. Just know that people like Ash are hard to find in this world. And Ash... he's truly one of a kind. He should be going home to pallet after his win, I think you should go see him and congratulate him in person. I'll leave you to think about it. Come on Norman, Solidad, let's go prepare dinner for tonight." With that, Caroline took her leave along with her husband and Solidad.

May simply sat in the same spot, lost in her thoughts. It was true that Ash was a one of a kind person and that she had never met anyone as kind, loving, and warm-hearted as Ash Ketchum. And sure, she had had a small crush on him during their journey together but over time, that faded away completely... at least, she thought it did. With her recent outburst at Drew, she was really looking at who would always look out for and make her feel special, and she could only think of one person that could fit this description completely...Ash.

"_Ughhh, I'm so confused!" _May thought to herself. Although she was conflicted with her emotions at the time being, she knew one thing for sure...she wanted to see Ash... badly. May shook the thoughts out of her head for the time being before deciding to do something that, regardless of how confused she was, would make her happy.

May had a huge smile on her face as she spoke to herself, "Well... looks like I'm heading to pallet."

_Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh Region_

Twinleaf town was a small, peaceful town. Many of the residence enjoy the warm afternoon air that seemed ever present in this little town. It was always so peacefully quiet around here and that's what people loved about it.

However today, nobody was out on their porch as all were inside watching what many were calling 'the battle of a lifetime.' No one dared to miss two elite level trainers who were almost on the same skill level battle it out.

To say that Twinleaf Town was peaceful and quite on this day would be a blatant lie because of one residence's house in particular.

"Come on Ash, I know you can do it! Keep it up! I know you will win!" These were the shouts of a particularly bubbly and loud blunette by the name of Dawn Berlitz as she watched the match upstairs in her room. Her friends were running late, so she opted to watch the battle in her room until they arrived.

Johanna, Dawn's mother who was stationed in the family room also watching Ash's match, sweat dropped at her daughter's over the top enthusiasm and returned to watching the television. Kenny and Leona, Dawn's childhood friends, had just arrived as Dawn was cheering loudly in the early stages of Ash's battle.

Johanna let Dawn's friends in the house and called to her, "Dawn, your friends are here. Now come down here so we can all watch Ash's battle together.

Johanna knew that Ash and Dawn were best friends who always supported each other, but when Dawn had come down the stairs from her room, to say she was surprised would be an understatement.

Dawn shyly walked down the stairs of her house wearing a larger and, umm...skimpier version of the cheer leading outfit she had worn for Ash's gym battles back in Sinnoh. Johanna's jaw had hit the floor when she saw her daughter in a less than prude cheerleader outfit. However she soon recovered and smiled at her daughter, knowing that she was doing this just to support her best friend... even though he couldn't see her.

Kenny's jaw had hit the floor as well, but for another reason. He couldn't take his eyes off of Dawn. His not so subtle crush on Dawn was even more apparent as a bit of drool made its way out of his mouth while watching her descend the stairs. Leona was the only one that didn't seem in shock at Dawn's outfit. With her and Dawn being pretty close, she knew all about how Dawn had worn a cheer leading outfit to cheer for Ash's when he had a big battle. For her, this seemed normal.

Buneary followed behind Dawn in a similar outfit, which earned a giggle from Johanna and Leona. As Dawn approached her mother, Johanna turned her attention to her tentative looking daughter.

"H-Hey mom. Hey you guys." It was obvious just from the tone of her voice that Dawn was embarrassed about her mother seeing her dressed like a cheerleader in support of her best friend. Johanna tried to stifle her laugh, but she just couldn't. Dawn just looked at her mother with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"MOM! I'm doing this to support my BEST friend. He has a chance to win a pokemon league here!"

Kenny flinched a little as he was broken out of his stupor when Dawn began to speak. He thought of Dawn as his best friend at it hurt for her not to think the same.

Johanna finally settled down after a good-hearted laugh at her daughter's embarrassment, "Oh honey, I know and may I say that you look absolutely beautiful in that outfit."

Johanna was right about that. Dawn had also matured quite a bit. She, like May, had turned into a beautiful young woman. Her cheer leading outfit showed off her toned mid drift as well as her long legs. Her blue hair was a bit longer than it used to be and that amounted to Dawn caring for it even more so than in the past. Although Dawn's chest was not as big as May's, she and everyone else was very happy with what she had. The real head turner for Dawn was her perfect rear. Years of training along side her pokemon had left her in great shape. All in all, Dawn was absolutely gorgeous.

Dawn couldn't help but smile at her mother's kind words as her nervousness somewhat went away. That is, until her mother spoke again.

"And I think that it is so sweet of you to dress up for your boyfriend's big match. I'm sure he would really appreciate it if he could see you." Dawn's face reddened at her mother's words. As Kenny's face also went red, but with anger. Leona just giggled to herself, knowing that if she could, Dawn would get together with Ash in a heartbeat.

"_Hell, even I would love to date him. From what I've seen and heard about him, he seems amazing." _Leona thought to herself. However, she would never act on her thoughts because she knew that Dawn had a thing for Ash, even if she wouldn't admit it.

For a long time, it was obvious to Johanna that Dawn liked Ash, even if she wouldn't admit it yet. She just couldn't pass up an opportunity like this to embarrass her daughter.

"Mom, Ash is not my...boyfriend." Dawn said in a shy voice, barely audible to her mother. Even though her voice was hardly full of confidence, Kenny still calmed down a little as she heard her say this.

Johanna just continued to smile at her daughter, "Whatever you say dear. Let's just go back to watching the match." Everyone nodded in agreement as the sat and resumed watching the biggest battle of Ash's career, which was just entering it's final match up; Torterra Vs. Pikachu.

Dawn couldn't help but stare at Ash during his battle. She hadn't seen him in person in nearly three years and had only talked to him on the phone one time over those years. With everyone traveling around so much, it was hard to find where the person you wanted to call was at. Dawn and Ash were not immune to this problem. She longed to see him again but didn't know when it would be a good time.

"_What if he changed..."_ Dawn thought to herself but quickly shook the idea out of her head. Even if Ash did change, it could only be for the better. This was Ash she was talking about after all.

Right before Ash called for the final iron tail that would ultimately knock out Torterra, Dawn had jumped up and began cheering...loudly.

"You can do this Ash! Kick his butt! You're the best there is!" Dawn screamed as if Ash might be able to somehow here her.

Kenny was feeling a mixture of anger and sadness over how much Dawn supported Ash. He had a feeling that she might like Ash as more than a friend. He knew that he would have to make his move today if he even stood a chance at having Dawn's heart. As the referee announced Ash as the winner, the whole room burst into ear splitting cheers, although Kenny's were noticeably quieter.

"He did it! I'm so proud of him! He's finally one step closer to his dream!" Dawn screamed out as she danced around with Leona. Johanna even joined in at one point smiling with her daughter and her good friend. The only one absent was Kenny. He didn't hate Ash by any means, but he could be a rival for Dawn's heart and that was all he could think about at the moment.

Kenny mustered up all of his courage and approached Dawn who was still jumping around in joy, "Umm, Dawn?" At this, Dawn calmed down for a moment and looked to Kenny. "Can I talk to you for a sec." Dawn shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the couch as both her mother and Leona were still bouncing around in happiness.

Kenny took a deep breath and began to speak, "Dawn, we have known each other for a long time and we are pretty good friends, right?"

"Umm, yeah..." Dawn said, uncertain as to what Kenny was going to say.

Hey took another deep breath. "Dawn, I have liked you for a really long time and I think that you might like me also so willyoubemygirlfriend?" Kenny said the last part very quickly however, Dawn still heard his words.

She went slack jaw as even her mother and Leona stopped dancing around once they heard Kenny. Dawn knew that Kenny had a huge crush on her for a long time but he never acted on it, and that was how Dawn liked it. Dawn thought of Kenny as a friend and nothing else. To be honest, Dawn was a bit uncomfortable with Kenny's obsession over her. He had caught him starring at her multiple times from his house next door and it kind of freaked her out. Despite all of this, Kenny and her had been good friends for a long time and Dawn didn't want to just throw that away. But with what Kenny just said, everything changed.

Kenny just stared at Dawn with hope in his eyes as Dawn began to speak, "Kenny I...I don't know what to say. I'm flattered but... I don't feel the same way. I only see you as a friend and that is all I will ever see you as. I'm sorry."

Kenny broke at her words. He really thought at least he had some chance but now, all hope was squashed. Instead of feeling sad, all Kenny felt was anger. He needed someone to blame and that person, was Ash Ketchum.

Kenny's face turned dark and his voice level dropped very low, "It's Ash isn't it?"

His voice was so low that Dawn couldn't hear it, "What Kenny?"

By now, Kenny had blown passed his boiling pint, "Don't play dumb with me! I said, it's Ash isn't it? That's why you can't like me, because you already like him! Huh Dawn? Is that it?"

Dawn, Leona and even Johanna were a little scared at how aggressive Kenny was sounding but Dawn, through a red blush, managed to speak. "I-I don't know what you're talking abou-"

Kenny cut off Dawn, "Oh don't play dumb with me. It's obvious to anyone with two eyes and a brain that you have a thing for Ash, even when you haven't seen him in what... three years? How can you still like somebody after that long. I have been by your side that whole time and you don't like me? Dawn I love you and you can't not love me back!"

Dawn was no completely terrified. She had never seen this side of Kenny before. "Kenny, that's not it, it's just. I-I don't like you that way."

"Well then I'll just have to make you love me." Kenny said cryptically. With that he forced Dawn up off of the couch and pulled her into a kiss. Dawn's eyes shot wide as she immediately pulled away and slapped Kenny as hard as she could in the face. This seemed to break Kenny out of his blind rage and realize what he had just done. He looked at Dawn, who was now crying and knew that he had caused it.

He looked over at Leona who was looking frightened and then at a fuming Johanna. His eye's landed back with Dawn's.

"I-I'm sorr-" Kenny was silenced with a hand from Dawn.

Through her tears, Dawn spoke. "Don't Kenny. I thought you were my friend but then you do something like this. How could you? Just because I don't want to be your girlfriend? I can't even look at you right now just...go."

"But-" Kenny tired to butt in, but couldn't.

"GO!" Dawn screamed through her tears of both fear and sadness. Kenny realized any attempt to talk to her right now would be pointless as he took his leave.

Dawn sat back on the couch after Kenny left and silently cried. Both Johanna and Leona sat on either side of her and put a reassuring hand on each shoulder. Dawn continued to look down and cry but then, she hear something that caught her attention...her name. She looked toward the TV and saw Ash standing on a podium, giving a speech. Dawn listened intently.

"_Next up is Dawn Berlitz. An excellent coordinator who I'm sure all of you have heard of. We met by total accident and I couldn't be happier that we did. Like May, I like to think I helped her along but really, she never needed my help. She was already amazing from the start."_

Ash's words seemed to cheer her up instantly as her tears stopped and a wide smile formed along her face. She couldn't help but smile and blush a little at Ash calling her amazing on live TV.

"_-I can't help but be happy when I talk about her because she is just such a great person and I absolutely love that about her. I don't know when we will see each other again, but I hope it's soon"_

Ash had said that last part looking directly at the camera and she felt as if she was actually talking with Ash and she couldn't be happier. The smile was plastered on her face and wasn't leaving anytime soon. This didn't go unnoticed by Johanna who was formulating an idea in her mind.

"Go to him." Johanna spoke softly into her daughter's ear. "Huh?" was Dawn's only response.

"I said, go to him. Go and see him in Pallet town and congratulate him in person. I don't care if you like him as more than a friend or not, it's obvious to me that he makes you happy and you need to be happy right now. And plus, I'm sure that Ash will be ecstatic to see you." Johanna responded with a smile.

Dawn couldn't help but blush again at thinking about Ash and her as more than friends. She pondered over the idea. In all honesty, there was no reason not to go visit him. She knew he would go to Pallet to see his mother after this journey and she desperately wanted to see him. It only took seconds for her to decide.

"You're right mom. I'm going to Pallet to see Ash!" By now, her tears were gone and the only thing that filled her eyes now... was hope.

**A/N: There it is guys! The first chapter of "A Trial of Will". I hope you all enjoyed it. This chapter was more of a set up. Next chapter we will meet up with our gang in Pallet town and get our first taste of some Team Rocket action. Don't worry, eventually this fic will have a good bit of action in it as well as romance. Also, this story will contain death so be aware of that. Anyway, please stay tuned and make sure to catch the next chapter of "A Trial of Will"**

**Thanks guys and See Ya!**


	2. Reunited and First True Threat

**A/N: Hey guys and welcome back to the second chapter of "A Trial of Will!" This chapter will have a taste of what is to come in the future with Team Rocket. So R&R my friends and thank you!**

**Misty: 19**

**Paul:19**

* * *

_Indigo Plateau, Kanto Region_

The sun was beginning to set over the plateau as the group of travelers plus Paul made their way toward the hotel the currently resided in. When they attempted to first leave the stadium, they were swamped by reporters and had to fall back into the locker room. But with some clever disguises, they managed to make their way past everyone and on their way to the hotel.

"So Ash, what's next?" Brock asked, already feeling excited for their next adventure.

"Hmm? Oh sorry Brock, I was lost in my own little world there for a second. To answer your question honestly Brock... I don't know, but we have plenty of time to decide. But the first thing I need to do is return to Pallet so I can see my mom and all of my pokemon. I've really missed them. You guys are welcome to join me of course."

"Of course we'll come with you! What else did you expect." Serena said with a huge smile on her face.

Ash couldn't help but smile in response to seeing Serena so giddy about her wanting to visit his home town. Brock just gave Ash a thumbs up so he assumed that Brock was also planning on coming along. As for Paul however, he just had the same stoic look on his face he had most of the time.

Ash understood how hard it had to be to lose that battle because, like Ash, Paul had been so close to victory on numerous occasions. Now, the Indigo league was just another check mark in Paul's box of 'could have been's'. Paul was Ash's friend and he would never leave a friend behind. He shook away the idea that Paul didn't respond because he was angry, but instead came to the conclusion that he simply thought that Ash had only directed that question to Brock and Serena.

"Hey Paul, what do you say? You want to come with us to Pallet town for a while?" Ash asked as nicely as he could.

Paul looked surprised at Ash's words, confirming Ash's latter suspicion. "Really? I thought you were just talking to Brock and Serena."

"I kind of came to that conclusion myself but no, I was talking to you as well. We're good friends and you have never seen my home town. I just wanted to give you a reason to. Plus, we don't mind if you travel with us." Ash finished with a smile.

"Ash is right Paul. You're good company when you want to be. I think you should come along!" Brock added.

Paul looked toward Serena with a smirk, waiting for a response. Serena just glared back at him, refusing to budge. However, when she caught Ash's pleading eyes, she gave in, "Fine..." Serena spoke in utter defeat, but was happy to know that her saying this would make Ash happy.

"Well...how can I say no to that. I guess I'm in." Paul said with a small smile of his own.

"Alright, great! You made the right decision Paul, you're going to love Pallet town. It's kind of small, but with professor Oak's lab and all of the pokemon, it's a really great time." Ash said, giddy with excitement from the prospect of seeing all of his pokemon again. He also wanted to see how well everyone's training was progressing.

After Ash left Kalos, he decided to include his older pokemon in his next journeys. He realized it wasn't fair to simply leave his old pokemon sitting at Oak's ranch when all they wanted to do was battle. This new method had great success for Ash's and he was happy at getting to see his pokemon more often.

Also after Kalos, Ash got very serious with his training, and I'm talking VERY serious. He would have his pokemon do hours of endurance and strength training as well as improving their moves. Ash felt it wasn't fair for him to just command his pokemon and not do anything himself, so he took it upon himself to train along side with the pokemon. These training sessions were sometimes so intense that Ash and his pokemon would collapse in exhaustion.

After seeing tremendous gains in not only his but his Pokemon's physical abilities, he decided to make sure that all of his pokemon, with him or not, would always be training hard. So the next time he was in Pallet, he spent a number of days with each of his pokemon, putting them on a training regiment that they could do on their own. Ash did have some worry that some of his lazier pokemon such as Snorlax would not follow through with Ash's plan, but all of those worries were squashed when he returned the next time to see ALL of his pokemon in much better shape. Oak attributed them following through with Ash's plan to the massive amount of respect and trust they have in him. That on top of their strong desire to succeed motivated them to the max.

"Okay Ash, settle down. We have to walk to Vermillion tomorrow, which should only take a few hours and then from there, it's a pretty long walk to Pallet. For now I think we should just get a good nights rest." Brock reminded him.

"Yeah, that battle was exhausting. I could definitely use a good night's sleep tonight." Ash agreed as all of the others nodded in agreement.

By the time Ash had finished speaking, the quartet had made their way through the front door of the hotel and already reached the stairwell that would lead them to their rooms.

As they arrived at the rooms, Paul took his leave. "Well guys, I'm going to hit the hay early tonight. It was a long day and that battle really wore me out. I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow before we have to leave."

"Alright Paul, see you tomorrow." Ash said, as everyone waved Paul goodbye as he entered his room down the hall from them.

"Hey do you mind if I come in with you guys for a while. It's only 8:30 and I don't think I can sleep yet with all the excitement of today." Serena requested.

"Sure thing Serena, come on in!" Ash said as Brock opened the door to the room. After they entered, Brock walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed a water and offered the other two a drink to which they both accepted.

For the next 2 hours or so, the three friends had a great time conversing about whatever was on their minds. Serena had begged Ash and Brock to to her some more things about their previous adventures to which the two happily complied. They told Serena about how they met Jirachi and the whole story that went with it. To say Serena was surprised would be an understatement. "Okay guys, next time we talk and it's not so late, I expect to hear more of these adventures. They are absolutely incredible; I can't believe you got to experience that!"

"Sure thing Seren-AAaahh" Ash said with a yawn, causing Serena to giggle.

"I agree with that one Ash, I'm tired as well. I think it's time we all go to bed. We have to be up early tomorrow if we are going to get make good time." Brock said.

Serena took this as her cue to leave as Brock and Ash opted to share a room so that Serena could have her own. "Well, I'll see you guys in the morning then!"

"Goodnight Serena!" both Ash and Brock said at the same time. Serena smiled in response but was very tempted to give Ash a goodnight hug. She knew Ash wouldn't mind it, but her shyness took over once again as she abandoned the idea and left.

"_Come on Serena. You know you don't have to be afraid of how Ash will react to almost anything you do. He is the sweetest person you have ever met" _Serena mentally scolded herself as she approached her own door across the hall. She felt around in her pocket for the key card and face palmed.

"How could I forget something that important..." Serena mumbled to herself. She could go down to the front desk and ask for another card but she really didn't feel like walking down 5 flights of stairs at that moment. She cursed the elevators for being out of order as she tried to figure out what to do next.

"I bet the guys won't mind if I just sleep in their room tonight." Serena shrugged and walked back toward her friend's door. She knocked on the door and patiently waited for an answer. A tired looking Ash was who answered the door. Serena noticed all of the lights were off except for a small lamp and the one in the bathroom, where she assumed Brock was at the moment.

"What's up Serena?" Ash asked, a bit of exhaustion evident in his voice. He was already dressed in his pajamas which consisted of a black shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. It was amazing how fast him and Brock had gotten ready for bed.

"Hey Ash, I uhh...kind of forgot my key card in my room and I'm locked out. I'm way too tired to go downstairs to get a replacement so I was hoping that-"

"You could sleep in our room." Ash finished with a knowing smirk.

"Well...yeah." Serena rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Ash just laughed and motioned for Serena to enter.

"Come on in. You can have my bed, just let me grab a pillow and I'll be fine on the floor." Ash said with a smile.

"Oh no Ash, you take the bed. I'm fine with the floor." Serena tried to rebut but was cut off by Ash putting his hand up.

"Serena, what kind of man would I be if I let you sleep on the floor when there is a perfectly comfy bed right here." Ash spoke with gentle kindness. Serena could help but smile at Ash's selfless nature. It was just one of the things she loved about him.

"Thanks Ash, Really." Serena muttered with a smile. Ash just smiled in return and laid out his sleeping bag on the floor at the foot of Serena's bed.

"Hey Serena, you probably don't have your pajamas with you, do you?" Ash asked as Serena shook her head. "Okay, well here take this." Ash said while taking off his shirt and handing to Serena. She couldn't help but blush and stutter.

"Ash...w-what are y-you doing?!" Serena demanded shakily. Ash just cocked his head confused.

"I'm offering you my sleep shirt. Don't worry, it's clean if that's what you're worried about. I literally just put it on before you came. I would offer you a different shirt but we haven't done laundry in a while and this was my last clean shirt." Ash mentioned.

Serena barely heard a word that Ash had said as she was taking in his now shirtless form. Serena couldn't help staring. All of his training alongside his pokemon had really paid off. It seemed as if there wasn't an ounce of fat on him. His shoulders and arms looked strong and his chest leading down to his six-pack abs had Serena mesmerized. In her daze, she had accepted Ash's shirt. Ash was turned around, facing away from her.

Serena was confused as to why he was facing away from her once she broke from her dreamy state, until she heard Ash talk. "Go ahead Serena, I don't know how long Brock is going to take in the bathroom. And I'm sure you want to get to sleep." Serena understood what Ash was saying. He was telling her to change into the shirt. She looked a little embarrassed at first but then proceeded to take off her top and skirt.

She almost wished that Ash would turn around and get a good look of her. Serena was a beautiful girl. Her long, honey blonde hair cascaded down her back and her eyes were a striking blue. Her chest was nearly as large as May's and her rear was quite attractive as well. Serena knew she looked good, but wasn't cocky about it. In fact, if anything, she was shy. Despite that, hoped that Ash might sneak a peak and like what he saw, but she knew Ash was too much of a gentleman to do that; another trait she loved about him.

Luckily for her, Ash was tall at about 6'4", so the shirt was loose and draped down past her underwear.

"Done" Serena said simply. Ash took this as his cue that he could turn around again. When he did, he couldn't help but notice how great Serena looked in his oversized shirt. Despite what everyone thought, Ash wasn't clueless about girls and could definitely appreciate their beauty. Ash gave Serena a smile and was about to lay down on his sleeping bag when he was brought into a hug by Serena. He looked down and saw the top of Serena's head as she rested on his chest. Ash was caught of guard and confused, but he simply hugged back.

After a few seconds, Ash released from the hug and looked at Serena. Serena thanked Arceus it was dark in the room because if it wasn't there would be no way to hide the massive blush on her face.

"What was that for Serena?" Ash asked as nicely as possible.

Serena looked down shyly and spoke softly, "It's just...to say congratulations on today and goodnight." Ash seemed to accept the answer. Serena was relieved and shocked when Ash pulled her in to another hug.

"Well in that case, goodnight to you too Serena." Ash said, still in the hug. He soon released and laid down in his sleeping bag without saying another word. Serena on the other hand, was frozen in place. Ash had just hugged her. Even if it was only to say good night after she had done the same thing, it was still mind blowing. She couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face as Brock finally walked out of the bathroom. Serena was worried Brock might infer something because he was so smart. Luckily for her however, Brock didn't even notice Serena as he walked like a zombie to his bed and fell asleep as soon as his face hit the pillow.

Serena mentally sighed in relief and laid down herself, a smile still etched in her face. She knew now, especially after what she was feeling during that hug, that she had to tell Ash how she felt about him soon. With images of her and Ash together playing in her mind, she drifted peacefully to sleep.

* * *

_Petalburgh City, Hoenn Region_

"Please May! Please!" Max begged his sister.

"I said NO Max, I want to go see Ash by myself. You can go visit him another time." May retorted. Max had heard of May's plan to go to Pallet Town and he had been begging to come along for nearly three hours now and frankly, May was getting tired of it.

"But May, I want to congratulate him right after his big win too! It's not fair!" Max huffed. Even though he was 14 now, he still sometimes acted like a young child. At this point, Caroline had over heard the two arguing. In fact, she had over heard them arguing for what seemed like forever. She couldn't take anymore so she was preparing to walk between the two siblings with the intention of solving this problem.

By this point, May and Max were face to face. May used to use this tactic all the time back when Max was only 7 but now he was 14, and also slightly taller than her. May stood about 5'8" and Max was closing in on 5'9". May had a feeling that her intimidation wouldn't work anymore, but that didn't stop her from trying. Finally, they were separated by their mother.

"Alright you two, I've had just enough of this! May, will you let Max go if he promises to not get in the way of anything you and Ash do?" Caroline questioned her daughter.

"Hmph...I guess so... But he has to promise. And if he does get in the way then he has to go home." May argued.

Caroline looked at Max to see if he agreed to the terms. Max had a big smile on his face. "Yes, that sounds fine with me. Thank you May! Thank you!" Max ran up and hugged his sister.

May couldn't help but smile as she hugged her little brother. No matter how much they fought and argued, they still loved each other very much. "No problem Max. just make sure you keep up your end of the deal." Max nodded his head in agreement as he broke off the hug.

"Well, looks like my work here is done." Caroline said satisfied. "Now you two better get packing and then get to bed. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." Both siblings nodded their heads and ran up the stairs to their rooms. Even though their ferry wouldn't leave until the evening, they still wanted to be well rested.

As the two reached the second floor, Max had began to follow May into her bedroom. As they entered the room, May took notice of her brother.

"Max, why are you following me." May asked, much more patient now that she had cooled down from earlier.

Max rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he responded, "Well...I kind of already packed. I just assumed that I would eventually convince you to let me come. Looks like I was right."

May looked at her brother with just a bit of anger, but shrugged it off. "And now, I have nothing to do until I get tired, so I decided to help you pack May."

May smiled at the gesture and allowed Max to put away the clothes she was handing him. However, she stopped abruptly when she saw a certain item... her half of the terracotta ribbon. She had only taken it off her person when she arrived home from her latest journey through the Sinnoh region. She always kept it on her not only as a good luck charm, but as a way to always feel close to Ash, her best friend. Now however, she couldn't help but feel even more attached to the ribbon than ever before. She stared at it for a while just thinking about what had changed. She finally decided to attribute it to the fact that she was finally getting to see Ash again after nearly 4 years. She thought she was just giddy and excited to see her best friend again after so long and felt as if the ribbon represented everything that was Ash. But something seemed...different. It seemed like now, the ribbon meant something much more to May, but she couldn't put a finger on it.

May was broken out of her sentimental gaze by her brother, "May are you just going to stare at your half of the ribbon all night or are you going help? After all this is _your _stuff we're packing."

May blushed and quickly slipped the ribbon into her pocket and walked to help Max so that they would be ready for their full day of travel.

Both Max and May felt extremely giddy and excited about tomorrow and both doubted if they would get any sleep that night. They could not wait to see Ash.

* * *

_Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh Region_

"Dawn, dinner's ready!" Johanna called to her daughter. Almost immediately, Dawn burst out of her room and ran down to the kitchen.

"Thanks mom! It smells great!" Dawn explained with vigor. Johanna smiled at her daughter.

"Well, since you're leaving tomorrow, I decided to make your favorite meal." Johanna turned on her best french chef voice as she presented the platter. "Tonight we have the chicken alfredo along with chocolate chip ice cream for dessert."

By now, Dawn was salivating. Even though Dawn wasn't known for her eating like Ash and May were, she felt that with this food, she could easily keep up with her two friends. She sat down across from her mother and started to dig in.

"Mom this is delicious!' Dawn exclaimed between bites, still keeping her table manners.

"I'm glad you like it sweetie. So, are you excited for tomorrow? I still can't believe how lucky you are to have gotten one of the last tickets to Kanto for tomorrows ferry. I also bet you're happy that I made you wait a few years to start your journey now huh? If I hadn't, then you never would have met Ash" Johanna beamed a bright smile. It all just seems like one big play of fate.

Dawn nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah mom, I really am. I can't remember the last time I've been this excited. It's almost like tomorrow is Christmas or something. I really can't wait to see my best friend again after so long. I mean, I haven't even talked to him on the phone in over a year and a half." Dawn looked a bit melancholy toward the end her statement.

Johanna looked confused. "Why haven't you guys been talking?"

Dawn gave a sad smile, "With both of us traveling all the time, it's hard to know where he is so I can call him. If only someone would invent some kind of mobile phone, they would become a billionaire!" Dawn exclaimed.

Johanna nodded her head in both understanding and agreement. "Well, at least he never forgets your birthday. Every year, there is always a box waiting for you on the front porch, whether you are here or not."

Dawn had a dreamy smile on her face as she thought of Ash's kindness. "Yeah, Ash is the best isn't he?"

Dawn meant this to be a totally innocent question, but her mother gave her a sly smirk. Dawn saw this and scoffed, she was getting too tired to deal with this.

"Oh shut up." Dawn said, utterly defeated.

"Dawn, you know how highly I think of Ash. From what I've seen and heard from you, he is the best kind of person that this planet has to offer. He would give his own life to save a friend and that is very noble. I'm saying this because I want you to know that if you ever do think that you might have feelings for him, then I am 100 percent okay with you two being together. I know he will protect you and treat you like you deserve." Johanna finished.

Dawn had been blushing halfway through her mother's long winded speech, but it only intensified near the end. "Mom, I don't like Ash that way. If anything, he is like an older brother to me!"

Dawn spoke, fully believing what she was saying. However, her mother knew better. The way she speaks about him, the way she acts with him. Johanna had no doubt in her mind that her daughter harbored feelings for the boy, she just hadn't unlocked them yet. In all honesty, Johanna hoped that her feelings would come to the surface while she was visiting him. Like Norman and Caroline, Johanna had considered Ash like a son. After all the times he had risked his life to save Dawn's, how could she not feel that way? She knew that if Dawn and Ash got together, then her daughter would always be happy, and she desired that more than anything else in the world.

After the pair finished their ice cream dessert as well as a bit of small talk, Dawn excused herself back up to her room to continue packing. She also had to plan out the route she was taking from the port in Vermillion to the actual city of Pallet. Kanto was an unknown territory for her as for some reason, her journey had not brought her there yet.

She shrugged as she headed to her dresser to resume packing. However, before she could, her eye caught a framed picture. It was a photo of her Ash and Brock right after she had won her first contest back in Sinnoh. She was incredibly proud of her self and knew that Ash was even prouder. She couldn't help but go back to the times when they were all together, traveling around Sinnoh. Often times, she regrets ever leaving Ash in the first place to have Buneary's photo shoot, but she knew she couldn't take that opportunity away from her pokemon. Sometimes life just brought people apart, but that didn't matter anymore because soon, Ash would see her.

"I'll see you soon" Dawn whispered happily as she rubbed her hand over the picture.

* * *

_Indigo Plateau, Kanto Region_

"Serena. Hey Serena, it's time to wake up." Ash nudged her softly.

Serena started moving around slightly and slowly opened her eyes to see the smiling face of Ash. Upon seeing this, she couldn't help but smile herself. She was still tired, but she forced herself to sit up. She noticed the bathroom door was closed and the shower was on, obviously meaning that Brock was in there at the moment. Ash on the other hand, looked like he had been up for hours.

This was no surprise to Serena, however, because ever since Ash started training with his pokemon, he would wake up hours before everyone to train in order to be more efficient with his time. Serena couldn't help but think how far he'd come from the person that slept like a snorlax to the dedicated training machine he was now.

"It's time for us to start getting ready." Ash told Serena. "Oh and by the way, after I was done training, I got another key to your room. I hope you don't mind but I took some of your close to do laundry. Seeing as how I was already doing mine, I decided to do yours and Brock's as well." Ash handed Serena the new key card to her room.

"Wow, thanks Ash. That was really nice of you." Serena said, successfully hiding a small blush on her face as she accepted the key card.

"It was my pleasure, now you better go shower and change because we are leaving here in twenty minutes." He reminded Serena, who nodded in response as she got out of bed and walked toward her own room across the hall.

Ash had already been showered and changed long before anyone was awake, so now he just had time to think to himself. His mind drifted to his previous adventures with all of his old friends over the years. He really hoped that he had done them all justice with his descriptions of them the other day in his speech. His friends were the most important people in his life, save for his mother of course, and he wanted to make sure that their absolutely amazing ways had shown in the way Ash spoke about them.

He let his mind wander to all of his female traveling companions. How with the majority of them, he had inadvertently destroyed their bikes. He didn't regret it however because each one of those destroyed bikes had lead to a lasting friendship that he would never forget.

"_Hmm... I should definitely see if I can find where any of them are when I get back home. I haven't talked to May or Dawn in a while now." _Ash thought to himself.

Ash continued to think about his past adventures until his train of thought was broken by both the bathroom door opening, exposing a fully dressed Brock, as well as the main door of their room opening, showing a freshly dressed Serena.

"So, you guys ready to go yet?" Ash asked with mock impatience in his voice.

Brock scoffed, "Ash, not everybody gets up at 5 am like you. Sorry for actually wanting to sleep like normal people." Ash shook his head and laughed at his friends explanation. His training schedule was unpleasant, but it was helpful in the long run.

"Well let's head out, we've got quite a bit of walking to do if we want to get to Viridian and make it about halfway to Pallet by tonight." Serena reminded her friends.

Both men nodded their heads and followed Serena out of their room, making sure not to leave anything behind. Meeting Paul in the lobby, they began their long trek. Serena had asked why they hadn't just flown to Pallet town. Ash had plenty of flying types he could send over and he even had his charizard in his party at that time. However, Ash had opted to walk, reminding his friend that the journey is always better than the destination, even if it was his hometown, to which Brock agreed. Serena saw the point and was now happily walking down the trail.

_12 hours later Post Viridian Forest _

"Can we please, please stop now Ash we have been traveling since 10 this morning, and my legs are screaming at me." Serena pleaded. Brock silently agreed. Even though he had more travel experience than Serena, this was still a LONG day. Even Paul had wanted to stop. His usually stoic expression was replaced with one of utter exhaustion.

Even Ash looked tired at this point, despite his superb conditioning. "Yeah, I think it's a good idea to stop for the night." Ash agreed.

"Yeah and plus, we made it way further than we thought we would today. I'd say we're only about a three hours walk away from Pallet right about now. I say we leave early tomorrow, around 7, and get to Ash's house early. What do you think guys?" Brock questioned. Ash eagerly nodded his head and even though Serena was not known to be a morning person, she looked excited at the prospect of getting to Pallet early.

"Alright, then lets set up camp. Ash, Pikachu, I need you to get some fire wood. Serena, can you get me some water from that stream over there for the stew? Paul just...hang here with me" Brock asked kindly of his friends. All nodded and went to do their respective jobs.

After both returned, Brock had already set up all four tents and was patiently awaiting both the firewood and the water in order to start the very late dinner. Dinner was prepared quickly. Ash had four helpings and even Brock, Serena and Paul went back for seconds after the long day of traveling.

After dinner, the quartet prepared for bed. Brock disappeared into his tent for the night after wishing the other two a good nights rest. Paul followed Brock's idea soon after. Ash also retreated into his tent. Serena was about to head into her tent as well until she saw Ash coming back out, his sleeping bag in his hand. Serena was curious as to what Ash was doing.

"Hey Ash, why are you bringing your sleeping bag out here?" Serena questioned.

Ash smiled warmly as he responded. "I'm going to sleep outside tonight. I mean, look at that sky. The stars are breathtaking."

Serena followed Ash's gaze up to the sky. It truly was a magnificent sight to behold. Thousands of stars, shining so brightly in the dark abyss of night. This was the great part about being near such a small city such as Pallet town; there was almost no pollution in the air and it seemed that tonight was a cloudless night. It was almost as if Arceus was presenting its most beautiful artwork to the two companions.

Ash watched Serena enter her tent and assumed that she was going to bed for the night. He laid down his sleeping bag and was about to enter it when Serena came back out of her tent, her sleeping bag in her arms. Ash couldn't help but smile at this, it was always great to have company.

"Mind if I join you?" Serena asked playfully.

"By all means." Ash responded. With that, Serena placed her sleeping bag next to Ash's. Only about a foot and a half separated the two bags, but neither seemed to mind. The two entered their cozy beds for the night and began gazing at the stars. By now, Pikachu was already asleep inside Ash's sleeping bag.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Ash asked.

"Yeah...it is..." Serena agreed looking between the stars and Ash.

"Do you know why I love the stars so much? Ash questioned. Serena shook her head. "It's because they always keep you tied to people, even when you aren't with them."

"What do you mean." Serena couldn't exactly understand what Ash was talking about.

"It's like this. Friends often part because not everyone has the same path in life. It's sad and it sucks but just because the person isn't around doesn't mean they're no longer your friend. I've had to part ways with many of my closest friends and it's just as hard every time but I get comfort when I look at the stars. No matter where you may go, wherever you may be, the stars remain the same...as they were when we were together." Ash finished with a smile on his face.

Ash continued staring at the stars as Serena's mouth was agape with a tear in her eye. She couldn't believe that something so...deep had come out of Ash. He was many things, but Ash was no poet. Serena guessed that his friends really did bring out the best in him. She stared at Ash more as she spoke with a tear trickling done her cheek.

"Ash..t-that was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard." Serena said.

Ash shrugged in response. "I'm just speaking the truth; what I feel. Even if we were ever to part Serena, I know that we would never lose the friendship that we have created together, and that makes me really happy... Well, goodnight Serena."

Serena's face visibly saddened slightly at the thought of going separate ways with Ash even though she had no intentions of doing so anytime soon. It did comfort her, however, to think like Ash in this moment. Their friendship was forever, and nothing could ever change that. Noticing Ash, was already asleep, Serena silently moved her sleeping bag until the sides of both hers and Ash's were touching. Serena closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep with a smile on her face.

_The Next Morning_

Brock awoke with a start at the sound of the alarm on his pokegear ringing loudly. Brock groggily sat up from his sleeping position and reached for the device. Holding it close to his eyes so he could see in his sleepy state, he read exactly seven am. Brock groaned as he got up and began to get ready for the day. Brock was normally a great morning person, but after yesterdays twelve hour walk, he was spent and needed a good nights rest.

Brock got fully dressed and exited the tent to wake up his three companions and then begin breakfast for everyone. As Brock rose up to standing position once out of the tent, he rubbed the last of the sleepiness out his his eyes and took in his surroundings. It was nothing short of a beautiful day. The sun was out and making the temperature a comfortable warm Brock saw flocks of Pidgys and Pidgiottoes and even a few Pidgeots her and there. Next his eyes wondered to his sleeping companions.

His eyes almost open past the slits they always seemed to be as he saw the two still sleeping. Sure, it was weird seeing Ash sleeping later than anyone now, but that wasn't what was strange. What was strange was that Serena had moved so that her head and one hand laid on Ash's chest as they slept. To Brock, Serena's crush on Ash had been obvious since he met her, but he didn't think she would do this, unless something happened between the two of them? Brock shook off that idea however as he knew Serena was way too shy to admit her feelings, at least...right now.

Brock chalked this situation up to Serena moving around in her sleep; doing this subconsciously. At this time, Paul had also walked out of his tent and immediately noticed the position of Ash and Serena. Paul had to stifle back a laugh as he looked towards Brock.

Brock knew what was running through Paul's mind at the moment and he would try disparately to try and stop him from acting on what he was planning on doing. Brock shot Paul a 'don't you dare' glare as Paul grinned back maniacally. Brock took two steps to try and tackle Paul, but he would not make it in time.

"Hey! Wake up you guys!" Paul yelled. He wanted both Ash and Serena to wake up to see the position they were in where as Brock would have rather woken Serena up first and allowed her out of the embarrassing situation. But Paul just had to be himself and mess with Serena like he loved to do. All Brock could do now was watch along with Paul as the two started stirring from their slumber.

Ash opened his eyes first, not moving from his spot where he was laying as he felt something warm and heavy on his chest. He looked down to see Serena slowly opening her eyes, her head and arm laying on his chest. Serena finally opened her eyes all the ay and wondered for a moment where exactly she was. It was then that the two locked eyes. At first, neither registered what exactly was happening but after a few seconds, both of their eyes widened, Serena's more so than Ash's, and she moved off of him in a flash.

Paul couldn't help but bellow a full blown laugh at the sheer awkwardness of the situation. Ash looked toward Serena who was blushing fiercely and looked like she just wanted to crawl up into a ball and disappear. Ash then glared at Paul angrily for making this even harder on Serena.

"Paul, why don't you shut up and make yourself useful and go get some wood for the fire." Ash spat with venom in his voice.

"Pika!" Pikachu added just as angrily as his trainer, now full awake.

Paul had stopped laughing when he heard his good friend so angry at him. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll go get the wood." Ash could tell Paul was sincere, but it wasn't enough.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." Ash gestured to Serena who was looking down and holding her arm, looking as if she was going to cry. This broke Ash's heart and as soon as Paul apologized, he was going to go and comfort her.

"Look Serena, I'm sorry for laughing. Honestly I am." Paul spoke, meaning every word. He by no means hated Serena, he just liked to mess with her. Serena kept her head down but nodded. Paul then walked by to get fire wood.

Serena was audibly sniffling which suggested she was now crying. Ash took off toward her.

"Serena?" Ash asked in the most caring voice he could. "Are you okay?"

She wasn't exactly sure what did it, she guessed just seeing Ash's face, hearing his kindness. Whatever it was, Serena ran into the woods in the opposite direction of Paul.

"Serena! Wait!" Ash attempted to chase her but was held back by Brock.

"She needs time Ash. Let her have it. "Brock spoke sternly. Ash looked hesitant, but after a while, he agreed. Pikachu still looked ready to chase her down, but Ash assured him it would be okay.

The two men sat down as Paul re emerged from the forest with wood in his grasp.

"I don't understand what the big deal is. So she was sleeping on me, who cares? It doesn't mean anything." Ash thought out loud.

Both Brock and Paul looked tempted to tell Ash the reason why it was so embarrassing to Serena but knew that it had to be something that Serena would have to do herself.

"You know what, that's enough. I'm going to find her. I can't stand seeing her this way." Ash spoke with a fire in his eyes. Brock was going to try and stop him but once he saw his intense determination rise, he knew there was no way to.

With that, Ash took off in the direction that Serena had ran to, leaving Pikachu behind. He wanted to do this himself.

_With Serena_

She ran. She ran for what felt like forever but in reality, couldn't have been more than five minutes. Eventually, she found an open clearing and sat down,winded, on a fallen log right in the middle of the clearing.

"_How could that have happened?! I'm not ready to tell him yet and I know he's going to have questions, no matter how dense he is. This can't be happening." _Serena was now sobbing. She couldn't control it anymore, she was having a small panic attack. The only thing that snapped her out of it was the sound of a voice.

"Serena!" She heard a voice that she recognized to be Ash's calling for her. She didn't want to face him right now, but she thought it would be better to just get it over with.

"Serena!" Ash called again.

"I'm over here." Serena said, her voice breaking on each word. She doubted Ash would be able to have heard it, but when she saw Ash's Swellow hovering above the clearing, she knew Ash would find her.

As expected, Ash came bursting through the brush at breakneck speed. Serena could tell how worried he was about her just by seeing how fast he was rushing to come find her. This both warmed her heart and made her even more nervous.

"Thank Arceus I found you. Good job Swellow, return." Ash said as he recalled his Hoenn bird. "Now Serena, tell me what's wrong."

"Serena had sat down on the log again and Ash did the same. Serena tried to speak, but couldn't find her words when she looked into Ash's concern filled eyes.

She continued trying to find words but was cut of by Ash. "Listen Serena, if you don't want to talk that's fine, all you have to do is listen. I just want you to be okay." Ash said in the most soothing voice he could muster.

Serena nodded her head, "Okay. It's honestly no big deal Serena. It's really doesn't matter that we woke up like that. I mean we were pretty close together anyway so in our sleep, you must have shifted and thought I was a pillow. And besides it felt...really nice. I can't deny that it was the best sleep of my entire life." Ash said, a little nervous with a smile on his face.

Serena looked up, her eyes red from crying and smiled at Ash. It seemed like he always knew what to say. And him saying that he liked her laying with him had really brightened Serena up. She couldn't understand why she was so afraid of what Ash would say or ask. This was Ash, the kindest, most selfless person she knew. He would never make her explain herself if she was uncomfortable.

Ash shot her a smile of his own and brought her into a friendly hug. "Serena, I promise you that there is nothing you can do or say to me that should have to make you embarrassed. I will always be there for you Serena, no matter what" Ash's tone was so soothing on Serena's ears that she instinctually pulled Ash tighter into the embrace.

They stayed like that for almost a full minute before Ash broke the hug, much to Serena's dismay.

Ash grabbed Serena by her shoulders and looked directly into her ocean blue eyes. "Now, are you okay?" Ash asked with a smile gracing his lips.

Serena smiled back and nodded her head vigorously. Ash then stood up and offered a hand to help Serena up. She gladly took it but as she was standing up, her shoe hit a rock. She was about to trip when Ash had caught her...much like when they were kids and Ash had helped Serena out of the forest at summer camp.

Serena's face even had the same reaction, one of surprise when she felt her and Ash in somewhat of a hug like position. She backed off of him and looked up at his face. His face had matured but he had the same goofy smile as that she remembered from all those years ago.

Ash gestured for Serena to follow. As they were walking Serena knew. This wasn't some silly crush she had... it couldn't be. Serena loved Ash Ketchum.

_Back at camp_

Brock and Paul had breakfast ready by the time the two had returned from the forest. They all ate their fair share, packed up and headed off in the final leg of their journey towards Pallet Town.

Serena was in a much better mood ever since she realized how deep her feelings for Ash went. The entirety of the trip was filled with stories and laughter. Hell, even Serena and Paul got along great on this leg of the trip. It seemed like no time had passed at all as the reached the top of the hill that overlooked Pallet Town.

It truly was a beautiful place with that small town charm. The houses were close together and there weren't many of them, which lead most to assume that everyone probably knew each other here.

At the sight of his home town, Ash's eyes brightened, "It's so great to be home! Race you guys to my house!"

With that, Ash took off running at impressive speeds in the direction of the town.

Paul tried to call to Ash but It was futile, "Wait! Ash! We don't know which house is yours!"

Paul sighed in defeat as both Brock and Serena giggled. "How is this funny to you?"

"Paul, we've both been here a couple times. We know where Ash's house is." Brock said. Even though Brock was being modest. Sure, Serena had only been here a couple of times but over the years, the number of Brock's visits had reached double digits.

"Yeah, don't worry about it grumpy." Serena teased while slapping Paul hard in the shoulder.

Paul rubbed his shoulder after the surprisingly hard slap from Serena and followed behind Brock and Serena as they started to jog, hoping to catch up with Ash. A few minutes later, the gang caught up with him at the end of the street that his house was on.

"There you guys are! I wanted to wait for you guys so that Paul won't feel weird walking into my house since he hasn't been here before." Ash explained.

Paul scoffed at him but internally, he was grateful that he waited. He was sure that Ash had told his mother about how he was like in Sinnoh and didn't know what to expect out of her. He never did treat Ash very well up until about a year and a half ago.

The gang continued down the road and soon came to a modest looking home with a white fence surrounding both the house and a large garden which the group knew had to wrap all the way around to the back yard.

Ash took the lead walking up to his front door. He tried to open it but found it locked. He sighed and knocked. They heard the pitter patter of footsteps approaching the door, which soon opened revealing a small, pink pokemon.

"Mime! Mime! MR. Mime!" Mr. Mime exclaimed as he gave Ash a hug.

Ash laughed and returned the gesture. "Hey Mr. Mime it's great to see you too." The pokemon recognized Brock, Serena and Pikachu but he got a bit defensive when he saw the boy with purple hair.

Ash noticed this. "Don't worry Mimey, that's Paul, he's a friend of ours here to visit." Mr. Mime still looked a bit weary but a smile soon broke out on his face as he accepted the new addition into the household. After the all piled into the home, Ash started looking around for his mother.

"Hey Mr. Mime, do you know where mom is?" The pokemon nodded his head and lead the group out of the living room and into the kitchen which housed a door that lead to the backyard. As if on cue, the door from the backyard opened, revealing Delia, wearing a sun hat and gardening gloves.

Her expressing switched from one of surprise to one of absolute joy as she recognized her son. "Oh! My baby boy is home. My little champion!" Delia ran up to give her son a hug.

Ash sweat dropped at his mom calling him her 'little boy' as he was no not only taller than her by 10 inches, he was also the tallest one in his traveling group. Regardless, he returned the hug, very happy to see his mother. She soon released and looked up into her son's face, both adorning a smile.

Delia then looked around Ash and saw both Brock and Serena. She smiled and welcomed the two familiar faces to her home. Then, she noticed the purple haired boy standing shyly in the background. Ash noticed this and was about to introduce the two when his mom spoke.

"You must be Paul! Ash has told me so much about you" Even though her voice was kind, he paled at the thought of her knowing of how he acted back in Sinnoh. "Oh don't look so nervous honey, I don't bite. And if you're worried about me knowing about how you treated Ash in Sinnoh, the answer is yes, I do."

Paul looked utterly defeated at this point. "But Ash has told me all about how you have changed over the years and became on of his good friends and I'm really happy to hear that Paul. Welcome to our home. Any friend of Ash's is a friend of the entire Ketchum family." Delia finished with a massive smile. She even went as far as giving him a hug.

Paul was rejuvenated by her kind words. "Thanks Mrs. Ketchum, it's really great to meet you. And may I say, your house is lovely."

"Why thank you Paul and please, call me Delia." Ash's mother spoke kindly as a mother should. Paul nodded his head in recognition.

"Well, you guys must be starving after all that traveling. Luckily you got here right at lunchtime. Ash, why don't you show Paul around while I make lunch. Brock, do you think you could give me a hand with the cooking?" Delia asked politely.

Brock shot a victory smirk toward Mr. Mime, who looked angry at Brock for gaining a point in their on going 'helpful' rivalry. "Of course Delia, I would be happy to."

As Paul, Ash and Serena headed out the kitchen, Brock and Delia began what would surely be a mouth watering meal.

"Well, might as well start in my room since I need to put away this huge trophy." Ash said while pulling the trophy out of seemingly nowhere. Paul just sweat dropped and gave Ash a look that said 'really... Thanks for reminding me of my failure.'

Ash laughed nervously. "Hehe... Sorry Paul." Serena couldn't help but laugh. The trio walked into Ash's room and Ash gave Paul the not so grand tour of it. The two men then prepared to leave while Serena hadn't moved from her spot on Ash's bed.

"Hey Serena, you coming." Ash asked with both boys looking expectantly at her.

Serena shook her head in the negative. "No thanks Ash. I've already had the tour. While you show Paul around, I think I'll just hang out here." Ash shrugged his shoulders and continued on the tour with Paul.

Now that Ash was gone, Serena really got a good look at Ash's bedroom. She had seen it many times before, as this was usually the room she was granted when she stayed her while Ash would get the couch. Serena couldn't help but think that his room looked kind of... childish for an 18 year old. However, she soon realized how often Ash even stayed here, which was almost never. He was always out on a journey or something of the sort so it made sense that Ash never redecorated his room.

She stood up and walked over to where Ash kept all of his accomplishments. Framed on his wall were every badge he had ever earned including a double set of badges from Johto, Unova and Kanto. The badges trainers earned were only good for the league the year they obtained them in, meaning that Ash had to re challenge every gym and re earn his badges.

Above every region's badge set was a picture of him and his traveling companions that he had during the time of obtaining them. She started in Kanto with Brock and Misty, a girl she had heard much about from Ash. Serena really hoped to meet one day. Then she moved on to May and Max, another too people Ash spoke very highly of; Dawn also fit this category. Ash sometimes talked about Iris and Cilan, but not often. It was almost as if his first Unova journey shouldn't have existed (A/N Hint Hint Anime People!) Finally, she reached Kalos, where she first reunited with Ash and met Clemont and Bonnie.

She couldn't help but wonder how those two were doing. After they followed Serena and Ash through Johto along with Brock, they opted to return home so Clemont could open his own inventing shop. This allowed him to always have all the tools and equipment he need to invent; a luxury not available while always on the road.

Serena smiled to herself as she thought back to all of the incredible times she had during her journeys with Ash. All of the new friends she made. All of the pokemon she caught. Her Fenniken had opted not to evolve as she loved how cute she was as one, but that's not to say she isn't powerful. She had also caught a litleo that had evolved into a powerful Pyroar, a Mawile, a jolteon, an Ariados, a Quagsire, and last but not least a Sawsbuck. If it hadn't been for traveling with Ash, she doubted that she would have met any of these pokemon that she was lucky enough to call her own.

"He sure has accomplished a lot, hasn't he?" Delia asked.

Serena jumped in surprise at her sudden arrival and nodded in agreement. "He sure has. I thought you were making lunch?"

"Well, I was but then Mr. Mime got jealous and now him and Brock are in some kind of cooking war. I don't really want to be caught in the middle of that." Delia laughed while she spoke.

Serena giggled a bit as well as she returned her attention to the pictures. "He's had a big impact on you, hasn't he?"Delia questioned.

Serena didn't even hesitate to answer. "More than you could ever know. He's completely influenced the way I've lived my life since we met up again. And I'm always happier when I'm around him."

"That's really great to hear Serena. I'm glad Ash has been such a positive influence on you, and I can tell you for a fact that you've influenced him as well." Delia finished as Serena cocked her head in confusion. Seeing this, Delia elaborated, "You really haleped him grow up. Sure, I think that credit goes to all of the people he's traveled with but you took him down the home stretch. Even though he is as reckless as ever, I can honestly say that my little boy is all grown up." Delia finished with a tear in her eye and a proud smile on her face.

Serena spoke to the young mother will adorning a sad smile. "You raised a really great son Delia. I mean it, Ash is a one of a kind person and he only became that way with your guidance.

Delia smiled at her kind words and brought her into a hug. Once the two released Delia spoke up again.

"So...have you told him yet?"

Serena blushed heavily, "Is it really that obvious that I like him?" Her voice was adorably shy.

Delia couldn't help but giggle. "Oh honey, the first time I saw you two together I knew that you had feelings for him."

Serena was still embarrassed, but it was impossible for her to be uncomfortable in Delia's company. "No...I-I haven't gathered the courage up yet, but I hope I can do it soon."

"I really hope it works out Serena." Delia shot her a smile. "Ash has always been quite the ladies man, even if he didn't know it. I always thought that May, Dawn or even Misty would have claimed him over the years, but they all split paths. I don't even think Ash has seen the first two in years."

"Did any of the others ever have feelings for Ash?" Serena questioned feeling a bit jealous. She couldn't be too jealous however. She rationalized that with neither of them seeing Ash in years, it was nearly impossible that any old feelings could still hold true today.

"You know Serena, I could never really tell. If they did, then they hid it pretty well. It's just with how highly I've heard people speak of Ash, it's kind of hard to think that they didn't at least have a crush on him at some point."

Serena scoffed, "You're right about that. He really is the most amazing person I have ever met. He's selfless and always puts others before himself. To be honest with you Delia, after everything we've been through together...I-I think I love him." It felt great to actually say the words to someone else. Even though Delia was Ash's mother, she knew that this conversation would only be between the two of them. After all, it was hard for Serena not to see Delia as a second mother.

Delia squealed loudly in surprise at the revelation, making Serena worry that someone may have heard. Delia brought her voice down to a whisper. "Oh my Arceus that is great Serena! I'm so happy for you! I really hope it works out between you two. You've got my support and approval."

Serena smiled at her second mother and nodded gratefully.

"Well, hopefully lunch is ready by now. We should head downstairs and meet up with everyone." The mother of one suggested. Serena nodded her head in agreement. They walked downstairs and entered the kitchen to see Ash and Paul conversing at the table, which was full of different kinds of food, while Brock and Mr. Mime battled to see who could clean the kitchen better. But then they noticed another person. Someone with bright orange hair and an azuril at her side. Both Delia and Serena recognized her as Misty.

"_The girl from the pictures" _Serena reminded herself.

"Misty, it's great to see you again so soon!" Delia exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I didn't think that a simple congratulations over the phone would be appropriate, so I took some time off from the gym so I could come congratulate Ash myself!" Misty said smiling at Ash.

Ash smiled back and then resumed his conversation with Paul. It was obvious that she arrived a while ago and that they had already had some time to talk to each other and get introductions out of the way.

"Ash, is this that Serena you've told me about" Misty questioned, pointed toward the honey blonde haired girl.

"It sure is Misty! Misty, this is my friend Serena. Serena this is my old friend Misty. I'm sure you remember her from some of my stories." Ash introduced the two.

Serena approached Misty and held out a hand while offering a smile, both of which were returned.

The three ladies joined the table and not soon after, Brock also joined, sadly abandoning the competition leaving Mr. Mime the winner.

"This all looks really great!' Paul directed her comment at Delia who put her hands up in defiance.

"Actually, It was kind of kicked out my own kitchen by a cooking battle between these two over her." Delia mentioned while pointing at Mr. Mime and Brock who were scratching the back of their heads respectively.

"Well then, compliments, to the chefs." Paul redirected his praise.

The lunch went on for about 40 minutes. It was full of pleasant conversations and many congratulations to Ash on his win, to which Paul didn't mind much. Sure, he was a little sour that he lost, but at least he lost to a good friend who deserved it.

During this time, Misty and Serena got to talking. With Misty's tomboyish nature and Serena's more girly one, one wouldn't think that they wouldn't get along very well however, that was not the case here. The two hit it off almost immediately. The more they talked, the more they began to like each other and by the end of the meal, it seemed like the two had been friends since childhood.

Lunch came to a conclusion with Ash having eaten much more than the others as usual, so it was no real surprise. Everyone complimented Brock and Mr. Mime one more time.

"So Ash, when are you going to train today since you didn't get to this morning?" Brock asked. At the same time, Serena's face went slightly red as she remembered that mornings circumstances.

"Well Brock-O, I was thinking of taking the day off." At his words, Serena and Brock's mouths dropped to the floor. Ash hadn't missed a training session in over two years. "What? A man can take a break for one day? Even me and my pokemon need a break once in a while, even if it is only every two years."

"So what are you going to do for the rest of the day them." Serena asked.

"Well, I was going to go to professor Oak's lab and see all my pokemon but I'm feeling pretty tired, so I'm going to take a nap and either go there later today or tomorrow."

"A nap does sound like a good idea." Misty agreed. It seemed as if most everyone else agreed as well. Seeing as how they would need to work out the sleeping arrangements anyway, they decided right then.

"Brock and Paul, you guys are going to have to share the guest room. Luckily, there's a bunk bed in there, so sleeping shouldn't be a problem. Misty, Serena, are you guys okay with sharing my room?" Ash questioned.

"Sure, why not." Misty said.

"But what about you Ash? Where are you going to sleep?" Serena asked.

"Don't worry about me Serena, I'll be fine on the couch." Ash shot a smile to his traveling companion. Misty and Serena thanked Ash for giving up his room and ran upstairs to get put their things in it. Paul and Brock did the same with the guest bedroom, leaving Ash to get comfortable on the couch and fall into his dream state.

* * *

_Somewhere Inside of Viridian Forrest_

"Damn it Max, you just had to go poking around in the bushes!" May exclaimed to her brother while running full speed toward the exit of the forest.

"Sorry May! I just wanted to see the Kakuna! How was I supposed to know they would all evolve right at that moment?!" Max tried to reason with his sister, also running.

"Never mind Max, we just have to get out of here!" May screamed as a Beedrill got very close to her head until she picked up more speed.

"According to my pokegear, the exit should be right...around...there!" Max yelled, pointing to a break in the dense brush.

The two siblings made their way out of the forest, thinking that they had gotten away from the Beedrill. That dream was shattered when 12 angry, albeit low level Beedrill came pouring out of the forest.

"Max! You said they wouldn't leave the forest!" May scalded her brother.

"They shouldn't have followed us! It must be because they're still young!" Max screamed, grabbing for a pokeball. "Magcargo! I need you!" Max released his fire slug.

May, following her brother's example, sent out her strongest pokemon. "Blaziken! Take the Stage!"

Simultaneously, the two siblings called out to their pokemon, "Flamethrower!" A hot stream of fire shot out of both Pokemon's mouth's. At least 6 Beedrill were caught in the stream of flames and were burned badly. Those 6 retreated to mend to their burns while the other six, seeing the retreat, followed suit.

Both May and Max sighed in relief. If either one of them had gotten stung, there was a good chance that they would have died before they were able to get to Pallet town. Beedrill venom is fairly potent and can kill a human in under 2 hours. Still having about 2 and a half hours on their journey, this would not have been good.

"Hehe, sorry about that May." Max nervously attempted to apologize before he faced his sister's wrath. Luckily for him, she seemed too tired to want to hit him at the moment.

"It's...okay Max. Just..stop being...such an idiot... all the time." May said, regaining her breath. Max was going to retort but decided it was better to be insulted then be hit by his freakishly strong-punching sister.

"Well, we have a bit over two hours to travel on Route one before we get to Pallet. If we continue going now then I'd say we'll make it there at around..." Max checked the time on his pokegear. "four o clock."

The previously tired May seemed reinvigorated at the prospect of getting to Pallet so soon. Her desire to see Ash was at an all time high and the prospect of her desire becoming reality excited her greatly. Her giddy expression did not go unnoticed by Max, who couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease his sister.

"Settle down May, you'll get to see your boyfriend in no time at all."

May blushed and quickly gave Max a look of great anger.

"Max, he is not my boyfriend! Do I need to knock that into your skull again?" May was getting tired of all the teasing. May had made the mistake of telling her brother that she was confused about her feelings for the raven haired trainer during a moment of comfort. Now Max had not shut up about Ash being her boyfriend. This didn't help things when she was so confused with her feelings.

Max looked in fear as he remembered the last time he had said something like that. "May, I'm sorry, please just don't-OWWW." Max couldn't finished due to a strong punch from his sister into his arm.

"Let's just keep going. I can't wait to get there." May exclaimed, completely changing from her angry state just moments ago.

Max just shook his head and mumbled to himself. "Women..." He then followed his sister down route one.

About 2 and a half hours into the walk, they reached the familiar hill that stood high above Pallet Town.

May stood looking at all the houses until her eyes spotted what she was looking for. May could tell the house looked the same, even from this distance. May felt both excited and nervous at the prospect of seeing Ash again. Sure, she had talked to him on the phone at least twice a year, not counting this past year, and they always exchanged presents for special occasions, but it had been nearly 5 years since they had seen each other face to face.

She also hoped to find something here...find her true feelings toward the raven haired boy. As Max approached her side, the two began the final leg of their journey to Pallet.

* * *

_Ketchum Household_

Serena was seated in the living room in a chair she had brought in and placed next to the couch which currently housed a sleeping Ash. Serena wasn't all that tired when everyone wanted to take a nap. She was a bit embarrassed by her thought, but she knew the reason she felt so well rested was because of where she had slept the night before. Sleeping on Ash's chest had brought her comfort like she had never felt before.

Serena was brought out of her thoughtful state when she heard a light knock on the front door of the house. She wondered if she should answer it since everyone else was asleep and Delia was in the backyard with Mr. Mime. She came to the conclusion that it couldn't hurt, so she stood from her chair and walked lightly to the door.

She opened it slowly and drank in the sight of two familiar looking people yet, Serena didn't know why they looked familiar.

One was a boy she guessed to be in his early teens. He had dark blue hair and wore a green polo shirt along with khaki shorts. His most notable trait had to be his somewhat large glasses on his face.

The other figure was a girl she guessed to be around her own age. She was maybe an inch or so taller than herself. She had brown hair that warped down her face into somewhat of a downward V with a mostly white bandana on her head that included a red pokeball symbol on the side. Although it was an odd hairstyle, Serena found it beautiful at least...on her She wasn't convinced she could pull it off. She was wearing a red colored top and matching skirt, under which were a pair of tight bicycle shorts. She then looked her up and down and found her to be an extremely beautiful girl.

"Oh I'm sorry. We must have the wrong house." The boy suggested.

The pretty woman looked toward her brother. "No Max, this is definitely Ash's house. I remember it."

"Well, she's right this is Ash's house. And may I ask who you two are?" Serena said.

"Oh okay good. Well, my name is May and this is my brother Max." May spoke sweetly.

"_That's why they're familiar. May and Max!" _Serena thought to herself.

"Oh my Arceus, I'm sorry. I can't believe I didn't recognize you guys. After all Ash has told me about you two, I should have been able to recognize you." Serena exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, that's us. And who are you?" Max questioned.

"Oh, right. I'm Serena! It's nice to meet you guys!" Serena said sweetly.

"Oh Serena! Ash has told me so much about you. I'm just as ashamed that I couldn't recognize you. It's great to finally meet you as well." May declared.

Serena nodded and gestured for the two to come in, but be quiet, as a lot of the household was asleep. When the three entered the living room, Serena had noticed that Ash was no longer in his place on the couch.

Confused, Serena spoke, "I don't know where Ash went, he was asleep on the couch right before I opened the door." As she finished saying this, the door to the bathroom could be seen opening and out walked a still tired looking Ash. He was rubbing his eyes as he walked into the living room. When he got to the entrance of the room, he stopped his rubbing and gazed at those in the room. His eyes widened in surprise to see two of his best friends standing there.

"May? Max?" Ash asked not truly believing they were there. The two siblings both were looking equally giddy at seeing Ash. Instead of responding, May took off towards Ash and wrapped him up in a hug. They stayed like this for almost a more than a minute, just happy to be in each others presence once again. This agitated Serena a bit, but she let it go as they hadn't seen each other in so long.

By this time, May was actually crying into Ash's chest. "I missed you so much." May mumbled into Ash's chest. Here and now, May was regretting ever leaving Ash's side to go to Johto. Ash noticed May's tears and began rubbing her back.

"I did too May. It's okay now, we're here, together. I'm right here." Ash spoke softly. May's tears stopped coming and she broke away from the embrace and tried to lighten the mood.

"Dang Ketchum, you got tall." May said, still sniffling a bit. Ash laughed and nodded his head. He was then attacked once again by Max. this time, the hug was much shorter and less emotional.

"I just had to do that." Max said. "It's really great to see you."

"You too Max." Was Ash's response. "So I see you've met Serena."

"Yeah. From the pictures you've shown me, I knew she was pretty, but I mean wow. She's gorgeous!" May said, the only evidence of her ever crying now was in her red eyes."

Serena smiled at the praise. "Oh stop it May. If anyone should be throwing out compliments here it should be me. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." May smiled in return and thanked Serena. Both girls could already tell they were going to be great friends.

While this was going on, Ash was drinking in the sight of May. Like him, she had really grown up and Ash admired how absolutely beautiful she looked. Little did he know that May had already done the same thing to him, coming to the same conclusion. Ash felt he had to add his two cents to the conversation.

"Well I think..." Ash started while walking between the two girls and putting a hand behind each one's shoulder. "that you two look absolutely incredible."

Both girls started blushing at the praise from Ash. "T-thanks Ash." Serena managed to squeeze out. "Y-Yeah t-thanks." May was surprised by how difficult it was to get two simple words out of her mouth. Ash released both girls from the side hug at this point.

"So why did you guys decide to come here?" Ash asked.

"Well, we were watching your battle in Indigo and we felt that we had to come congratulate you in person!" Max exclaimed.

"Yeah, congratulations Ash! I'm so happy for you." May added. Ash smiled and thanked his friends. It was then Ash remembered that he hadn't been able to check around to see what had happened in May's last grand festival.

"Thanks! Speaking of big battles, how did your last grand festival go May? I haven't had time to check with the battle and all."

May wanted to play with Ash a bit. "Well Ash." May started off with a sad voice, tricking Ash into thinking the worst. That voice soon changed to one of excitement. "I won! I finally won a grand festival!"

"No way May, that's fantastic." Ash pulled May into another hug to congratulate her. "To think we would both take the first step towards our dreams in the same year! I'm so proud of you May, I can't wait to watch the festival now!"

May was genuinely happy when Ash said he was proud of her. For some reason, she always wanted to impress Ash. She guessed it was because he had taught her basically everything she knew about pokemon.

"Thanks Ash. I'm just really happy we both have a big win under our belts now. You're right when you said we are both one step closer to our dreams." may said.

As May finished speaking, Misty, Paul and Brock had all come down the stairs, shocked to see the two siblings. There was a lot of excitement when the old friends united. Paul was also introduced to the duo and although he wasn't much of a people person, he could see himself being friends with May. Max on the other hand, swamped him with questions. Max told him how much of a fan he was of him and even gave him reasons why he lost his battle with Ash. All in all, his first impression of Max was that he was pretty annoying. He hoped he would tone it down once they spent some more time together.

After all of these introductions were done, Ash went and got Delia from the backyard so she could say hello to May and Max. She was delighted to see them after such a long time and welcomed them to stay along with everyone else. The only problem was , the Ketchum house wasn't exactly fit to house this many people. But with some creative thinking and compromise, they all figured out sleeping arrangements. Max would have a cot in Brock and Paul's room while May would sleep on the other couch the family room had to offer.

After all of this was said and done and the conversations of everyone's journeys were winding down, it was well passed 6:30 and dinner was going to be served soon. When Ash and May smelled Delia's delectable cooking coming from the kitchen, they couldn't help but drool a bit. The two looked at each other and smiled. To this day, neither of them had been able to find another person besides each other who could eat like them.

Once dinner was served, more conversation ragged on. May told of her journeys through both Sinnoh and Hoenn. This was the region where May had won the grand festival.

"Hey Ash, I forgot to ask, where is Pikachu." Max asked.

"Oh, he's up at professor Oak's lab, he wanted to visit all of the pokemon before me for some reason. He should be back soon though."

"So Ash, are we just going to go to professor Oak's tomorrow since it's already dark out." Serena questioned Ash.

"That's what I was planning. I say we go around 9 tomorrow morning, I'll be sure to wake everyone up so don't bother setting an alarm." Ash responded.

May scoffed. "Yeah right, like Ash Ketchum is going to get up before everyone else." Both her and Max were laughing, but no one else seemed to be. "What?" May asked, confused.

"Well, for like the past 2 years, Ash has been getting up at the crack of dawn to train alongside his pokemon. He is almost always up before everyone else." Brock explained. Both May and Max's jaws hit the floor when they heard this. When they traveled with Ash, he always loved his sleep. They guessed Ash changed at least a little and it seemed to be for the better.

"Well okay then." May said considering herself 'told'. Everyone laughed at May's response.

"Haha, yeah. Why don't we head into the family room for some more conversation." Ash suggested. Everyone agreed and walked to the living room, leaving Mr. Mime happily with the dishes. Brock was tempted to stay behind but he really wanted to catch up with his friends.

* * *

_Route One_

"Ugghh... thank Arceus we're out of that stupid forest, huh Piplup?" Dawn grunted.

"Piplup pip!" The blue penguin pokemon agreed by waving his hand's around. Dawn giggled at her starter as they continued walking. The sun had already set over the horizon but Dawn was determined to reach Ash's house tonight. She had never missed anybody as badly as she missed Ash. Knowing that he was only a couple hours walk away was enough to keep her going.

By now, Dawn realized she probably at least had a crush on Ash. She had never felt this strongly about anyone and that was enough to at least get her to think about it. She pondered over the idea of it for the rest of her walked until she realized she was actually in Pallet Town.

"Wow, time sure flies when you're thinking about things, huh Piplup?" Dawn said to herself.

Piplup just shook his head and fell over, very tired. While Dawn was lost in thought, she inadvertently ignored Piplup's requests to be carried the rest of the way. Dawn noticed the downed Piplup and scooped him up into her arms. She resumed walking but was stopped by a familiar sound.

"Pikaka!" Pikachu ran at Dawn at full speed and jumped into her arms, knocking Piplup out of them.

Dawn was laughing at Pikachu. "Hey Pikachu, are you coming from the lab back to Ash's house." Dawn noticed the lab from the direction where Pikachu was coming from. Pikachu nodded his head in response.

Piplup was getting up of the ground, anger filling it's veins until it say who had knocked him out of his trainer's arms. When he saw Pikachu, he had a new found energy. Dawn put Pikachu down next to Piplup so the two could say hello. The two did a cool handshake and then proceeded to walk toward the Ketchum residence, with Dawn following close behind.

The closer she got, the more excited Dawn felt. As she made her final approach to the house, she paused to admire the beautiful modesty of the home. While drinking in the sight, she noticed a light was shining brightly through a window with a silhouetted figure visible. She looked closer and noticed the wild and crazy hair kept slightly under wraps by a hat. At the realization of who this person was, she sprinted toward the door and knocked.

* * *

_Ketchum Residence_

Everyone had converged into the family room and the conversation was picking up again. Most people were seated on the two long couches present in the room. Ash, however, had given up his seat on said couch to Max and was currently sitting on the floor in front of a large window.

"Anyway, after I lost that contest I was feeling-" May was cut off by the sound of knocking. This seemed strange to everyone as no one was expecting anymore company. Despite this, Ash rose from his spot on the ground and strutted toward the door. Apparently he was taking to long as the person behind the door knocked again impatiently.

"Coming." Ash yelled loud enough so that he could be heard behind the door.

He finally reached the door and opened it wide. Ash's jaw dropped slightly at the sight before him. There, in the door way, was Dawn Berlitz, another of Ash's best friends. What were the chances of two of the friends he hadn't seen in years showing up on the same day.

Both Ash and Dawn were speechless. Pikachu hopped out of Dawn's grasp and ran into the house as Ash and Dawn just stared at each other. Dawn couldn't help but admire her best friend's appearance. She was so taken aback that words couldn't pass her lips and she felt a warmth rush to her cheeks. What she didn't know, was that Ash was in a similar state.

Having been shocked by the surprise visit from Dawn as well as how beautiful she looked, Ash was silenced. He was the first to break out of his funk as he rushed forward and enveloped Dawn in a hug. This seemed to knock Dawn out of her strange state as she rested her head on Ash's chest and hugged him back.

Dawn experienced feelings similar to those felt by May earlier in the day. She, like the former, had let a few tears fall from her beautiful face but not a word was spoken. The hug said all that was needed to be.

"Hey Ash, who is it?" Brock inquired. Upon hearing this, the two broke apart and smiled warmly at each other Ash motioned for Dawn and Piplup to wait outside for a moment.

Ash turned back to the group with a lopsided grin on his face. "You'll never guess who's here you guys." Before anyone had a chance to guess, the bluenette walked through the door and waved to the group of people.

She was a little taken back upon first glance. She had heard Brock and expected Ash was here with maybe him and another person. This obviously wasn't the case. She recognized May and assumed the boy sitting next to her was her brother Max. Then she saw Paul. She scoffed at him; even though she heard he had changed, Dawn still did not like Paul at all. Once she saw the orange hair, she knew this had to be the Misty person that Ash always talked about. The one person she couldn't recognized was the beautiful blonde.

"Dawn!" May, Brock, and Delia exclaimed as they each ran up to her and gave her a hug after she had placed Piplup on the ground.

'Hey guys! It's great to see you!" Dawn exclaimed. She was happy to see her old friends, but she was a bit upset as well. She was hoping that this visit would just be her and Ash for a while. Little did she know these same feelings were harbored by May as well. She shrugged it off and decided to make the best of the situation.

After rounds of greetings and introductions, Dawn finally came to the shy blonde. "Hi I'm Dawn. I don't think we've met before."

Serena was normally happy to meet new people, but after seeing how beautiful all of Ash's past traveling companions were, she was feeling a bit insecure. She pushed this feeling aside for the time being and introduced herself.

"Hi Dawn! I'm Serena. It's really nice to meet you." Serena smiled as Dawn did in return.

"Dawn. Not that I'm not happy that you are here, but what are you doing here?" Ash asked, a huge smile still gracing his features.

Dawn's smile had also not left her face. If anything, it had only grown bigger once she laid her eyes on Ash. "Well, I was watching your match and after you won, I just had to come here and congratulate you in person. A simple phone call didn't seem to do your accomplishment justice. So...here I am."

"Thanks Dawn, I'm really glad you're here." Ash added. Dawn blushed slightly at his sweet tone, which didn't go unnoticed by Serena. She decided however, that it was best to just shrug it off for the time being. Even with this thought in her mind, she couldn't help but feel a little defensive over Ash.

"Yeah Ash sure did great didn't he?" Serena added quickly, trying to gain some attention. Luckily, she did it subtly enough to where it fit into the flow of the conversation as everyone in the room, Paul included, agreed.

"Oh and May! Congratulations on your big Hoenn grand festival victory!" Dawn exclaimed, hugging her co coordinator.

May laughed and smiled brightly. "Thanks Dawn. I've been following your contests as well. I know you'll win your first grand festival soon."

Dawn sighed and smiled sadly, "I know. It just gets frustrating sometimes...Sometimes I don't know if I'm still cut out for contests..."

"Dawn, you can never give up." Ash spoke seriously with determination heavy in his tone. "You are one of the best coordinators I have ever seen. You made it to the finals in your FIRST grand festival ever. I can't help but think that next contest season will be yours for the taking. You're amazing Dawn and I know you can do it."

Dawn felt great joy rush through her. She had come her to be happy and have fun, two things Ash was already providing for her. His words were always so meaningful. It made Dawn's heart flutter.

Both Serena and May felt a small pang of jealousy within them as Ash praised Dawn. They knew Ash thought highly of all of his friends, but for some reason, hearing him praise Dawn made the girl's slightly jealous.

"Thanks Ash. You really know how to sweet talk a girl don't you." Dawn teased which made Ash blush in embarrassment. This earned a laugh from the whole room. At this time, Buneary had came out of her pokeball and ran strait to Pikachu, who was chatting with May's glaceon.

Pikachu paled at the sight of her, but put on a warm smile and allowed her to give him a hug. Glaceon, however, didn't like this very much, but for the sake of not starting anything in front of Pikachu, she let it slide for the time being.

Ash walked back to his spot on the floor and offered Dawn a spot next to him. The conversations continued until late at night, when one by one, people periodically started heading to bed. Delia was first, followed by Brock, Paul, Misty and Max. That left Ash, May, Dawn and Serena left in the living room.

These three didn't even seem to notice that the others had left because they were all so entranced within each others presence. Laughs were shared and all four people got along fantastically. It all finally came to an end for the night when both Dawn and Serena let out a loud yawn, causing both to giggle at each other.

"Dawn we need to get you a place to sleep." Ash stated, trying to think of a solution.

"She can sleep with me and Misty." Serena offered. "I think I saw a cot in the hall closet."

Ash snapped his fingers in remembrance, "Oh yeah! I forgot about that thing! Are you alright with that Dawn. Sorry, we weren't really expecting this many people."

Dawn giggled, "It's fine Ash, really. I think we should all head to bed. I really want to have a great day tomorrow and we can't do that unless we're all well rested!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. 'Good nights' were passed amongst the group as Dawn and Serena headed upstairs.

May headed to the hall bathroom in order to get ready for bed, with Ash doing the same after. Ash returned to the living room spotting her in a sitting position staring blankly at him.

"May?" Ash questioned while waving his hand in front of her face. "You in there May?"

May finally exited her trance like state and smiled with a blush on her face. "Y-Yeah! I'm good, sorry about that. Just...thinking."

In reality, May was staring at Ash. He had come from the bathroom with a slightly tight black shirt on, which showed off his toned body. May couldn't help but stare as she appreciated how good her best friend looked.

Ash smiled at May, cut the lights, and laid down on his couch opposite of May's. After about 15 minutes, when May was fairly confident that Ash was asleep, she pulled her necklace out from where it was hidden beneath her shirt.

She admired the most beautiful part of the necklace. The part that was meant to catch everyone's eye; her half of the terracotta ribbon. She had always kept it on her ever since she and Ash parted ways, having only recently made it into a necklace before coming to Pallet. She admired how the gold center still shined in the moonlight. How the ribbon was still in tip top shape even after all these years.

"You still have your half of the ribbon?" May jumped as she heard Ash speak as she thought he was asleep.

May looked a little embarrassed, thinking that Ash was making fun of her for still having it after this long. She answered shyly, "Y-Yeah..."

Ash was silent for a moment, reaching around for something in his pocket. Once he found it, he sat up and flipped on the lamp that sat next to the couch. "Good. Because you know I always have mine."

May glanced over at Ash holding his half of the ribbon in his hand, feeling a sense of relief.

"_What was I thinking? Ash isn't like Drew. Even if he didn't still have the ribbon, he would never taunt me for having it."_ May thought to herself with a smile. She was touched that Ash would still keep the old ribbon. She wasn't sure why, but she felt her heart flutter while thinking this.

"This thing has been my good luck charm since we earned it. I literally can't remember I time when I've been without it." Ash continued, a smile on his face.

"I know what you mean. I've had this thing since we split up also. I've had it on me every moment since." May returned with a grin of her own.

Ash was feeling particularly deep tonight, as he was that night under the stars with Serena. "Two halves, separated by fate... brought back together by the powerful bond that they share." Ash finished, looking May in the eye.

She had no idea Ash could be this insightful. It warmed her heat to hear of the bond that they share. Once Ash finished speaking, he turned of the lamp and tried to get some sleep.

"Goodnight May." Ash spoke happily.

"Goodnight..." May mumbled, thinking about her and Ash and what he truly was to her.

_The Next Morning_

It was currently nine in the morning as Ash made his way back inside his house, drenched in sweat after an intense training session. He would have gone to Oak's lab to see his pokemon, but he promised everyone that he would wait and bring them along with him.

He entered the kitchen do grab a glass of water only to be met with practically the entire house sitting at the table, awaiting breakfast. Brock was wearing his signature apron as he and Mr. Mime prepared what would surly be an amazing breakfast. Despite their somewhat annoying rivalry, Delia was happy to get a break from cooking for a while.

"Jeez Ash. Did you go swimming or something?" Dawn asked, completely oblivious to his training.

Ash put an evil smirk on his face, "No Dawn, this would be sweat from training with my pokemon. Now come here and give me a hug." Ash moved toward Dawn, arms spread wide. Dawn screamed and jolted up as the two began a chase around the table. Dawn was laughing and Ash had a big smile on his face. Finally, Ash let Dawn be.

"Alright. I can see I'm not wanted here." Ash said in fake sadness.

May, who was laughing from the antics of the two, spoke, "Oh shut up and go take a shower."

Ash stuck his tongue out at May and made his way to the bathroom.

"I actually thought he went swimming." Dawn said, not fully recovered from her laughing fit.

"Yeah. When I heard that Ash trained with alongside his pokemon, I had no idea things got so intense." Max added.

"Oh it is. I actually tried doing it for a while, but I couldn't keep up. He does it day after day at 5:30 every morning. The first morning I tried, we started with an 8 mile run, and Ash said he was going easy on me!" Serena exclaimed.

"I trained with him for a while as well. While his and his Pokemon's endurance are nothing to scoff at, it's their strength that really surprised me. Ash and his pokemon do thousands of sit ups and probably around a thousand push ups everyday. And when it comes to move training his pokemon...let's just say I can see why I lost our last battle." Paul mentioned, genuinely impressed with his friend's determination to be the best.

"Wow." All the girls, even Delia, said at once. His training seemed crazy hard, but it obviously helped him become a better trainer. It made sense to everyone because in the Indigo league, up until Paul, Ash hadn't lost a single pokemon in battle.

After their conversation had died down and breakfast was served, Ash returned wearing his usual black T-shirt, covered by a short sleeved jacket that was mostly red except for the white sleeves. He wore his signature jeans with his poke balls attached and who could forget his hat, which was a larger version of the hat he had worn during his Hoenn journey.

Everyone welcomed Ash back but he seemed to ignore them all as he took the empty seat in between Max and Misty. His eyes were glued to the mass amount of food in the middle of the table.

Immediately, he began filling his plate with everything he could. Egg, sausage, bacon, pancakes were just some of the things on his seemingly mile-high plate. Everyone realized they better grab some themselves or else Ash would eat everything.

May's plate rivaled that of even Ash's as the two scarfed down the food like wild animals. Most everyone there had forgot that Ash and May ate so...wildly. But hey, they loved food and who were any of them to judge.

Ash and May looked up to each other, mouths full of food and issued a silent challenge to each other. The two then began eating even faster, with both clearing their plates at practically the same moment.

"Done!" Exclaimed both Ash and May at the exact same time. Both laughed and rubbed the back of their heads sheepishly.

"I guess it's another tie." May said, a little embarrassed at her eating habits in front of everyone else. However, as long as Ash didn't care, she couldn't feel too embarrassed.

"We'll settle this one day Maple!" Ash exclaimed, earning a laugh from the whole table. With Ash and May going on for seconds and the rest of the group returning to their meals, Max decided it would be a good time to ask Ash something that had been on his mind since he saw him again.

"Hey Ash?" Max started. Ash looked up with another mouth full of food. "Remember that battle you promised me back when we parted ways?"

Ash swallowed and took a break from his meal. "Of course I do Max! In fact, I was going to bring it up as soon as breakfast was over. What do you say after we visit my pokemon at Professor Oak's lab, we have that battle. Sound good to you?"

"Yeah it does! Be ready though Ash because you're going down!" Max shouted.

"We'll see about that Max. We're just looking forward to a fun battle! Right Pikachu?" Ash said with a huge grin. It was evident how much he loved battling.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer

Everyone at the table looked at Max and grinned. They knew he most likely didn't stand a chance against Ash, but he was so excited to battle his idol.

About 20 minutes later, everyone had finished their breakfast, including Ash and May after their 4th helping.

"How do you guys stay in such great shape when you eat so much all the time?" Misty asked, slightly jealous.

"Do you know how hard I train Misty? Honestly, I don't even think I'm getting enough calories compared to what I burn off during training." Ash reasoned.

Misty then looked to May. "And what's your excuse?"

May laughed sheepishly, "Hehe...I'm just lucky I guess."

Both Misty and Dawn sighed at May's response. They were extremely jealous that they couldn't eat like she did and not have to worry about their figure. May noticed their sad faces.

"Hey, but don't think I don't work out too!" May said. Both girls cheered up slightly, even though they knew May was probably just saying this to make them feel better.

"Come on guys, let's go to Professor Oak's lab so me and Ash can have our battle!" Max exclaimed.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Even though he was four years older, Ash sounded just as excited as Max. Everyone smiled as they realized that Ash hadn't changed much and ran off after them.

Everyone, save for Delia who didn't want to tag along, met up with Ash and Max just outside the door of his house.

"Hehe... Sorry. I guess we got a little carried away there. We should walk together." Ash said, slightly embarrassed by his childish behavior.

"It's all good guys. I'm excited for the battle as well. Let's get going." Brock stated.

The walk to professor Oak's lab was about 10 minutes from Ash's house. As the trio walked along the path, more conversation ensued. About five minutes into their walk, everyone was silenced by Ash turning around and putting a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence.

After a few moments of silence, May spoke up quietly, "What is it Ash?"

Ash looked around him one last time. "Sorry. I must be hearing things. Let's just keep moving." Agreeing, everyone continued walking. This didn't last long however as not five steps into their newly resumed travels, the ground beneath them collapsed.

No one was spared form the extra wide hole as everyone had fallen down. Everyone groaned in pain, as Ash stood up. He had a good idea who had done this.

"Is everyone alright? Ash asked. As he looked around, he noticed something was missing. "Wait, where's Pikachu?

It was then that he heard maniacal laughter from above. Everyone's eyes gazed to the top of the hole and saw both Jessie and James. Ash knew Meowth had to be around as well. "Team Rocket." Ash said through gritted teeth.

"HAHAHA. That's right twerp. And guess who's finally got Pikachu." Jessie boasted. At this point, Meowth made himself seen, holding, what Ash assumed to be, an electric proof jar that contained Pikachu.

"What, no more motto?" Dawn asked angrily.

"Well would you look at that. All of the old twerps and twerpettes back together again, how sweet. And we outgrew the motto if you must know; We are much too good for it." Jessie babbled.

Ash's anger was at an all time high. He was getting real sick of team rocket always following him around and trying to steal Pikachu. He would have none of it.

He reached for a pokeball and released him high above the hole. "Charizard, I choose you!" his mighty roar made Team Rocket gulp in fear, but they were not backing down. They both released their own Pokemon, Jessie's Seviper and James' Malamar respectively , to battle the overpowered Charizard.

As this was going on, Ash had also his newest addition to his team, his Alakazam. "Alakazam, I need you to teleport us all out of this hole."

"Ala Alakazam." Ash's pokemon said while nodding it's head. Within a second, everyone was out of the hole and were now facing Team Rocket. Ash's charizard had made quick work of the two pokemon and was returned by Ash. He then sent out his trusted Lucario. "Lucario, extreme speed over to them and grab Pikachu out of that container."

Without a response, she did just that. Lucario rushed over, broke the container which held her friend and fellow pokemon Pikachu, and returned to Ash along with Pikachu all in the blink of an eye. Everyone was impressed at the Lucario's speed, but this was no time for praise... they had bad guys to deal with. Ash soon after returned his Lucario.

"Team Rocket, when will you learn that you will never win!?" Brock screamed at the three evildoers.

"Yeah, all you three are is a bunch of screw ups!" May added.

Both James and Meowth looked scared while Jessie looked absolutely furious.

James leaned toward Jessie and whispered in her ear, "Umm, Jess? Maybe we should go before we get blasted off again." Meowth nodded his head in agreement.

"No." Was Jessie's cold response.

Both James and Meowth looked surprised and a little afraid of Jessie's tone of voice.

"What do you mean no Jess, let's just get out of-" Meowth tried to speak but was cut off.

"NO! I am sick of always losing! We will not lose this time!" Jessie screamed while she reached behind her back.

What she pulled out surprised and scared everyone, even her own teammates. "J-Jessie...Why do you have a gun?" James asked, terrified.

Jessie just ignored his question and spoke to the group in front of her, gun pointed at them. "So girly, you think we're a bunch of losers?" Jessie said referring to May's earlier comments while the gun was pointed at her. "Well how about this twerp. Either you hand over your Pikachu, or I shoot her."

Ash instinctively wrapped an arm around May's shoulder. Everyone looked terrified. Dawn and Misty were crying and even Paul had a look of absolute terror on his face. No one looked more scared then May. She was weeping, terrified. She felt a bit safer once Ash put an arm around her, but this didn't complete rid her of the fear.

The only two with emotionless faces were Ash and Jessie.

"You. Will not. Hurt her." Ash said in a deadly calm.

Jessie smirked. "Oh yeah? Just watch me."

Ash noticed Jessie's finger start curling around the trigger, in which time Ash hugged May and covered her entire body with his, shielding her from harm.

_'Pop'_

_'Pop'_

The sound of gunfire made everyone tremble in fear as they watched the scene unfold. Jessie had only been able to fire to shots before she was tackled and restrained by James and Meowth.

"What have you done!" Meowth screamed. "We are not murderers!" Jessie struggled against James' grip but he was just too strong for her.

After calming down, Jessie spoke angrily, "This is a new Team Rocket. We must do what has to be done."

Ash had continued holding May for a few seconds after the bullets rang out. Seeing this, everyone felt grateful that she must have missed. This feeling of happiness was thwarted when Ash slid down May's body and ended up face first in the ground.

"Ash!" Brock was the first to scream as he rushed over to his closest friend. Paul and Max, looks of terror adorning both of their faces, rushed over not long after. Pikachu, who was stunned, eventually ran over to Ash with tears in his eyes.

Brock inspected the wounds. One was in his right shoulder and the other...looked dangerously to close to where his heart was located on the other side. Brock checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one even if it was feint, but Ash was losing blood fast, and something had to be done. Both himself and Paul began applying pressure to the wounds as Max looked on in terror.

Misty was balling her eyes out, sitting on her knees. Dawn and Serena were hugging one another both crying more than either of them ever had before. They were both too afraid to rush to Ash's aid. They didn't know what to do. The panic rushed over them both as they continued to sob.

May was seemingly stuck in the position she was when Ash was shielding her. She had a blank expression on her face as she stared into empty space. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. Panic slowly but surely spread throughout her body. She finally adjusted her eyes as they locked on to where Ash was laying. Seeing him like this finally snapped her out of her trance.

The first tear fell from her eye followed by many more after that as she realized what had just happened. Ash had taken a bullet for her.

**A/N: Wow. Now that was a LONG chapter. Probably the longest one this story will have. I would have stopped this chapter much earlier, but in the previous authors note, I promised a taste of what the new Team Rocket is willing to do and well...you saw it. Next chapter should be up soon, but I start school Tuesday, so I'll most likely be getting chapters up on the weekends.**

**What's going to happen to Ash? Find out next chapter! See Ya!**


	3. Answers and Hope

**A/N: Hey guys! Make sure to read the authors note at the end, it's kind of important!**

A Trial of Will

Everyone was in a panic. Brock and Paul continued to put pressure on the bullet wounds. Misty, Dawn and Serena all continued to cry, but felt the need to try and help. They rushed over to Ash's downed body to see if they could help however, with how much they were crying, there was no way they could be any help.

May was still frozen in place. Tears were cascading down her face, but she wasn't making a sound. All she was thinking about was how Ash had just saved her life and now, he could die because of it. It was too much to take in so she just continued to stand like a statue and cry.

Pikachu was feeling in a blinding rage. He stared down Team Rocket and sparked his cheeks. James looked up from his position on top of Jessie and saw the snarling Pikachu. "Pikachu listen, me and Meowth had no idea what Jessie was planning to do and we didn't know she had a gun. I am so sorry Pikachu."

James and Meowth felt terrible about what Jessie had done. They could barely be considered theives and now, Jessie may have just became a murderer. Pikachu didn't listen to a word that James said as his anger only grew the longer he looked at the trio.

Jessie looked over at Pikachu and smirked. "Looks like you're going to be needing a new trainer." That was the last straw for Pikachu. He released the most powerful Thunder attack he ever had. Everyone in the area was blinded by the brightness as this attack rivaled that of Zekrom's Bolt Strike. Team Rocket blasted through the air, all unconscious. If they survived that attack, it would be a miracle. After the attack, all eyes were back on Ash.

"Brock. The bleeding isn't stopping. What are we going to do?" Paul asked frantically.

Brock removed his hand and looked at one of his wounds. It was still pouring out blood at an alarming rate. Brock mumbled some obscenities while trying to work out a plan. "Okay. Paul, we have to get him to Professor Oak's lab. He should have some equipment that can stop the bleeding. We have to pick him up and carry him gently. If the bullet is as close to his heart as I think it is, we have to be VERY careful."

Paul nodded and prepared to lift Ash. Before they did however, Brock turned to Misty. "Misty, I need you to run back to Ash's house and tell his mom what happened. Bring her up to the lab as soon as you can."

Misty could barely hear the commands over everyone's sobbing but she nodded and took off running toward the house. 

Alright Paul on three, we lift. Ready? One. Two. Three!" Brock spoke while lifting and supporting Ash's torso while Paul hefted his legs.

"We need to hurry before we're too late. Max, try and get your sister to move! We don't have time for this!" Paul exclaimed as they began toward Professor Oak's lab, followed by the sobbing Dawn and Serena. Pikachu was close behind.

By now, Max had gotten his crying under control. He had to be strong for Ash right now, and he was doing just that. He ran over to his sister and sighed sadly at the state she was in, "Oh May..." He mumbled to himself. "May, we have to get to the lab. We need to see if there is anything we can do to help Ash!"

May didn't respond, the blank stare on her face never changing. Tears still cascaded down her face. Max realized it was going to take a lot to snap his sister out of the state of shock. He grabbed his sister by the shoulders and started shaking her. "May! We have to go! Come on!"

It was useless, May still wasn't budging. Max sighed and tried the last thing he could think of.

_'SMACK'_

Max had resorted to smacking his sister in the face in order to get her to break out of the state she was in. "May! Get a hold of yourself! Unless you want Ash to _die_, then we need to get a move on!"

The combination of the slap and the urgency in her brother's words made her legs start to move. At first she was jogging, but soon, she was in a dead sprint toward Oak's lab. Max kept up with his sister's pace. He could tell that she wasn't completely out of shock, but she at least felt the urgency to get to Oak's lab.

Due to their head start and the siblings' fast running, they reached the entrance to the lab at the same time. Serena opened the door with urgency and allowed Brock and Paul, with Ash in their grasp, to enter first.

"Professor Oak! We need you NOW!" Brock screamed at the top of his lungs. Tracy, Oak's assistant and Ash's old friend had heard the yell and came running to the entrance.

"Brock? Whats going-" Tracy tried to question Brock but when he saw Ash in his arms, he rushed to get the professor.

Near the back of the lab's first floor, Max cleared off a table that was normally used for the larger Pokemon's check-ups. Ash was set down on this table as Oak appeared through the door way.

"Why is everyone screaming! And Tracy told me something was wrong?" Oak said. He didn't need an answer however, as he saw Ash on a lab table with a pool of blood forming under him. He laid his eyes on Brock, who was also covered in what he could only assume to be Ash's blood.

Oak felt the panic rush through his system but he pushed it aside. He had to help Ash, the person he considered a grandson.

Oak quickly put on some rubber gloves and began to cut Ash's shirt and jacket off. "Somebody tell me what happened." Oak was calm and collected. He had to be when he dealt with pokemon emergencies as much as he did. He assured himself that this situation was know different, but in the back of his mind, he knew it was.

Brock, who had kept his cool during this entire experience, was finally starting to lose it. He spoke to Oak with tears falling from his eyes, "Professor. T-Team Rocket...and the gun... Ash." Brock couldn't string a sentence along as he was starting to panic.

"Brock! I need you to stay with me here. I can't save Ash without your help. You need to stay calm." Oak said reassuringly.

Brock wiped his tears and gathered himself. "You're right professor. He has two bullet wounds. One to the shoulder and one near his heart. Both bullets entered from the back and I didn't see any exit wounds."

"How long since he was shot." Oak asked.

"About 5 minutes." Max responded, looking at his watch.

Oak cursed to himself as he weighed out his options. "Brock...I know your only a pokemon doctor and I'm only a professor with the knowledge of a pokemon doctor, but we are going to have to operate on him right now."

Everyone's eyes widened, even Brock's opened passed the slights they usually were. "What! Professor Oak...I c-can't I-"

Oak grabbed Brock by the shoulders and looked him strait in the eye. "Brock, if we don't do this... Ash will die, there are no 'if's or buts' about it. The nearest hospital is in Viridian and by the time we got Ash there, he would be long dead." Oak's words, although true, made everyone's crying intensify.

Brock wiped the nervous look off of his face and put one of determination on. "Okay...Just tell me what to do."

Oak asked everyone to leave the lab except for himself, Brock and Tracy. Complying, everyone took their leave, allowing the men space to take out the bullets, stop the bleeding, and most importantly...save Ash's life.

Now that everything was out of their hands, everyone had either continued or started to cry. Even Paul was shedding tears as the thought of who he considered his best friend in the condition he was in.

No one seemed to notice Misty and Delia running towards the lab at breakneck speeds. It wasn't until the last moment that Paul looked up and had to stop Delia from rushing into the lab.

She was crying hysterically and fighting against Paul's grip, trying to get inside the doors. "Where is my baby! Let me see him now! Let me go! I have to see him! He needs me!"

Paul was struggling with controlling his emotion as he tried to calm Delia. "Delia! Delia please relax. They are operating on him right now. I know they aren't really doctors but you have to have faith in Brock and Oak! You have to have faith!" Paul screamed.

He wasn't sure what it was that he had said, but something made her clam down. Instead of fighting against Paul's grasp, she fell to her knees and continued crying hysterically. Seeing their friend's mother like this just added to the tears of everyone.

Not a word was said for almost 45 minutes as everyone continued to cry and pray that Ash would end up okay. It was at this time that people literally began to run out of tears. They tried to cry, but their bodies literally couldn't produce enough tears to keep up.

"Someone please...tell me what happened. Tell me what happened to my Ashy." Delia muttered quietly. However, it was loud enough to be heard by the entire group. Max decided to take the lead.

"Team Rocket showed up again and tried to steal Pikachu. After failing, one of them pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot May. The woman was going to shoot May, but Ash protected her. Ash, he...he saved her life."

May dropped down to Delia's level and somehow produced the tears to start crying again. "Delia, I'm so sorry! If it wasn't for me, Ash wouldn't be in there right now. It should have been me!" May was hysterical at this point.

May wasn't sure what she was expecting, but one thing is for sure, she certainly wasn't expecting Delia to pull her into a tight embrace.

"May, listen to me...don't you ever, ever blame yourself for what happened today. What happened is not your fault. Ash knew you were in danger and he was just being himself. He is always willing to put protecting someone he cares about before his own safety and I think he showed that today. I promise you May...this is not your fault." Delia spoke very calmly, but firmly. She needed May to understand what she was saying.

May managed to find the strength to give a half smile and hug Delia again, this time for even longer. While in the hug, May whispered in Delia's ear. "He'll be okay...I know it." The two broke the embrace and nodded to each other.

As they stood, they noticed everyone's eyes were red from crying, especially Pikachu's. He had been trying to fight out of Dawn's grasp for 30 minutes to try to be with Ash during his surgery. He had finally worn himself out and cried with the rest of the group.

Everyone stood in silence; no one knowing what to say. It was finally broken by Misty. "You know, Ash is going to be okay. He has risked his life in the past more times than I can count and he has made it out each time. This is just another one of those situations."

"Yeah, like when he saved the Sea Temple!" Max said, a small smile on his face. May's heart sunk at this. She had just realized that today wasn't the first time that Ash had saved her life. He had done it for her in the past too and she couldn't help but feel responsible for putting him in these situations. However, she brightened up when she realized that Ash had risked his life for all of his friends in the past.

"He saved me from falling out of a hot air balloon. I can never repay him for that." Dawn reminisced. To pass the, time most everyone told previous stories of how Ash had saved their lives while risking his own. After a while, the conversation died down.

"Ash is a hero." Serena mumbled to herself.

"What was that Serena?" Max asked on behalf of everyone.

"I said that Ash is a hero. He is a true, 100 percent, real life hero. He has saved nearly everyone life and even saved the world! To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something...Ash is willing to die for every single one of us. If that doesn't make him a hero, then nothing ever will."

Serena looked. She saw that everyone agreed with what she had said. Ash was a hero to all of them and now, they had to be strong for him.

Just then, the doors to the lab busted open, revealing a bloody Professor Oak. Everyone felt sick to their stomach; they knew who's blood that was. Despite the nausea, everyone rushed to Oak with hopes that Ash would be okay.

"Professor, please tell me he's going to be alright." May pleaded. If Ash died protecting her, she could never live with herself.

"That's not why I'm out here." Was Oak's response. "Delia, I need to know Ash's blood type and quickly. He's lost a lot of blood and he needs a transfusion. We got the bullets out and stopped the bleeding, but he has lost about half of the blood in his body, more than enough to cause his body to shut down."

Everyone looked terrified once again as Delia responded frantically, "Ash is AB negative, same as me. Take as much blood as you need Professor, just save my baby."

"That's perfect Delia, go inside and meet Tracy, he'll be taking the blood." With that, Delia sprinted inside the building. "Now please tell me that someone else has Ab negative or O type blood. We can't safely take as much blood as Ash needs from Delia, we're going to need one more person."

Everyone looked around, hoping to spot a raised hand. It was a lost cause however, the rest of the group either didn't know their blood type or weren't a match. It was looking hopeless for Ash and everyone knew it. The tears quickly began again.

"Professor Oak?" The Professor heard Brock's voice from behind him. "I'm AB negative as well. You're going to have to handle Ash with just Tracey because I am not taking no for an answer. I want you to take as much blood as you need from me, just save my brother " Brock spoke seriously.

Oak nodded his head and returned to the lab with Brock. A collective sigh was let out amongst the group remaining outside.

Dawn had set Pikachu down a while ago and he was still looking as upset as can be. May noticed this and decided to try and cheer him up.

"Hey Pikachu, you know Ash is going to pull through right. He would never leave you behind like this, he loves you to much."

"Pika Pika Pikachu..." Ash responded sadly. It was obvious May's talk wasn't helping, she had to try something else.

"Here Pikachu, I think there is someone that can help comfort you while we wait for Ash to get better."

With that said, May reached for a pokeball and released Glaceon. Being told the situation by May, her features went downcast as she approached Pikachu.

"Gla Glaceon." Glaceon said shyly to Pikachu.

Pikachu looked up in surprise. He didn't want to look so weak in front of Glaceon but there was no way he could hide how he was feeling at the moment. Instead of responding, Pikachu walked up to Glaceon and hugged her for all she was worth. Glaceon licked Pikachu's cheek in return as the two sat down and cuddled close to each other.

May looked on and felt as happy as she could with the current situation. The group all sat down in silence and waited...it was the only thing left for them to do.

After another hour and a half of waiting in silence, both Professor Oak and Tracey walked out, gaining the undivided attention of everyone.

Seeing everyone's expectant eyes, Oak sighed and spoke, "Ash is one hell of a fighter, I can say that much. He's still hanging in there, even after losing so much blood. We did the blood transfusion and it seemed to got well. The bullet in his shoulder was no cause for alarm, but the one near his heart managed to nick an artery and that's why he lost so much blood."

Everyone's eyes were filled with terror. Oak, seeing this continued. "I managed to sew up the artery and remove the bullet shrapnel that luckily didn't hit his heart. Ash is alive...for now."

"What do you mean professor?" Paul asked on behalf of the group; fear was evident in his voice.

Oak sighed again, "If I had to guess... I'd say Ash has a 50/50 shot of living or dying, and even worse chances that he'll ever wake up again." Oak finished while wiping a tear from his eye.

Everyone's eyes welled up with tears again. The prospect that there was a good chance that Ash might not make it out of this hit them all hard.

"C-Can we see him." Serena asked, fighting back the tears, at least for the time being.

"I don't see why not. Follow me." Oak said as he and a weeping Tracey led the way.

As everyone entered the lab, the saw various machines along with shelves full of books. However, the back of the lab seemed to be turned into a makeshift hospital room. Everyone spotted both Brock and Delia, asleep on beds normally used for recovering Pokemon. Both of them looked extremely pale.

"Professor...they're going to be okay, right?" Max asked timidly, gesturing to Delia and Brock.

"Of course Max. We had to take quite a bit of blood from both of them though, so they are just tired. They need to rest in order to recover their strength back." Tracey said, now recovering from his weeping episode. Max sighed in relief, at least something was looking hopeful.

Eventually, Oak lead the gang to the bed which currently housed Ash. He still looked slightly pale form all the blood loss, but it was obvious the newly received blood was doing its job. Upon seeing Ash so...fragile. Serena, May and Dawn all began to cry silently. Seeing the strongest person any of them had every met looking so...weak broke their hearts.

Most everyone pulled up a seat to just sit with Ash and pray to Arceus that he would wake up. Serena claimed one hand into hers while May claimed the other. Dawn was perfectly content running her hand through his unruly black hair.

The only sound heard for a long time was the heartbeat monitor, reassuring everyone that Ash was still with them.

After about an hour, Oak told everyone they should go home and get some rest and the could return in the morning. After some convincing, everyone agreed to go. It seemed everyone walked out of the lab looking over their shoulder. They felt they had to see Ash up until the moment they left.

As the returned to the house, it was around eight o clock. Late for dinner but Paul still suggested it. However, no one was hungry; everyone just wanted to go to bed.

As everyone went off to their separate rooms, people periodically began to fall asleep.

Paul, Max and Misty were out almost immediately. The stress of the day had really taken a tole on them and they really needed rest. But May, Dawn and Serena all just laid in their sleeping places, unable to fall asleep with Ash on their minds.

May was gazing at her half of the ribbon for what seemed like hours. Sometimes, she would look to the couch across from her where Ash was supposed to be sleeping. Even though she was told not to, she still felt at least partially responsible for what happened to Ash.

May couldn't get over the fact that Ash had taken a bullet for her. She thought back to all the times that Ash had been there to protect her and couldn't help but smile. Ash was her guardian angel and he cared about her enough to risk his life for her.

May was no longer confused about her feelings for the raven haired trainer. She was sure now...She loved Ash Ketchum.

Everything Ash had every done for the three girls was constantly running through their minds. They never realized how much he had done until they took this time to think. They all came to the same conclusion... Ash was the most important person in their lives.

With this in her head, Dawn's 'crush' on the boy didn't seem to do her feelings justice. She knew that had Dawn been in May's shoes, Ash would have taken the bullet. It was that selflessness among other qualities that made Dawn realized that much like the other girls, she was in love with him.

It was no well passed midnight and Dawn was almost certain that everyone had to be asleep by now. With her new found love for the raven haired boy, she felt she had to be there with him right now. With a plan in mind, she stood from her cot and prepared to leave the room to go to the lab and see Ash.

She had made it into the hallway and was about to go down the stair when she heard a whisper.

"What are you doing Dawn? I thought you were asleep." Dawn recognized the voice as Serena's.

"I could ask you the same thing." Dawn replied with a smirk, even though she probably couldn't see it in the dark hallway.

"I-I just really wanted to see Ash okay. I'm really scared for him." Serena said shyly.

Dawn sighed in response. She really wanted to go see Ash alone, but it was obvious that Serena was going to come whether she like it or not.

"Alright Serena. Let's go together, lets just make sure not to wake anyone else up." Dawn smiled at her friend as they started making their way down the stair and out the door.

They counted their blessings that the hadn't woken May up but they had no idea had long since abandoned her couch.

It was a bit frightening for two young girls to be walking around at midnight, but luckily, they ran into no trouble. They arrived at the lab and tried the doors. Surprisingly, the door had opened without a problem. They had expected the door to be locked but didn't question it as the entered the dark building quietly.

They made their way to where Ash was, noticing a sleeping Brock and Delia on their way. As they arrived, they saw something they had not expected. Both Dawn and Serena hid behind a nearby bookshelf as they watched and listened to May talk to a still unconscious Ash.

"What is she doing here?" Serena asked.

"She probably felt the same as we did." Dawn reasoned. "Now shhh, I'm trying to listen."

As they listened in, they could hear May whispering to Ash, "-I'm so sorry this happened and I can't thank you enough for saving me. I'll never be able to repay you for that, but could just do one more thing for me? Please wake up. I've realized how important you are to me and I don't think I can live without you. I need you to wake up, you have to." May said, crying a bit now. "I don't think I'll be able to tell you this when you're awake but Ash, I love you with all my heart. Now please keep fighting and wake up soon."

May finished by placing a kiss on forehead and resting her head on the side of her bed, drifting off to sleep almost instantly.

Behind the bookcase, both Dawn and Serena's mouths were hanging wide open.

"Di-Did she just say that she..." Dawn mumbled. She looked to Serena, hoping she understood what she was trying to say, but all Serena did was let a few tears fall.

Dawn again gasped in surprise, if what she was thinking was correct, then Serena was in love with Ash as well. She wondered to herself how things had gotten more complicated than they already were.

Noticing that May was asleep, both girls shook whatever thoughts that were in their heads out of them and walked silently over to Ash. Turning off the lamp and following May's lead, the two pulled up chairs and rested their head on the bed, falling into the depths of their dreams.

Being there for Ash was all they felt necessary at this moment, they could think about the 'love' drama later because for now, all that mattered was that Ash would wake up.

_Somewhere on the North Side of Viridian Forest_

Jessie, James and Meowth lay all spread out on the ground completely singed. Most of the hair was burned off of Jessie's head as she got the worst of the attack.

All these hours later, the member were just now coming to. Meowth was the first to awaken.

"Ugh..what happened?" Meowth asked himself while rubbing his head in pain. Almost immediately after he said this, memories of the day came flooding back into his mind. He looked over toward Jessie, who was currently still unconscious. James on the other hand was starting to awaken.

"James, Are you okay over there?" Meowth whispered to his friend and partner.

"I think so." James responded, obviously in pain. "But I can't remember anything..."

Meowth took the time to explain all that happened during the day and slowly but surely, everything came back to James. During Meowth's explanation, Jessie had awoken a little worse for the wear but overall alright. She listened to Meowth talk about how she went 'crazy' and 'lost her mind'.

"I just thank Arceus that we survived that Thunder attacked. I've never seen anything that powerful." Meowth finished recapping everything as James nodded in agreement.

Jessie looked on at her two partners in anger. How dare they try to stop her. She yelled to get their attention.

"Hey morons? Why did you stop me from shooting the rest of the twerps?" Jessie screamed, startling both James and Meowth.

James soon recovered and put on a brave face, "Because you shouldn't have been shooting anyone! Have you lost your mind! For all we know, Ash could be dead right now! We aren't supposed to be murderers Jessie!"

"Oh, so he's Ash now, huh? You're all buddy buddy with the twerp now? Is that why you stopped me?" Jessie responded, even angrier than before.

Meowth took the control of the conversation this time, "No! But we don't want to kill him? Why did you do it Jessie! And where did you get that gun?"

"The boss gave me the gun. And do you want to know why he gave me a gun and not you two? It's because you two are IDIOTS who just drag me down." Jessie Exclaimed.

Both James and Meowth's mouths dropped open upon hearing this. Jessie scoffed at their expressions and continued, "Giovanni gave ME the order to kill the twerp and anyone else who might get in the way."

James and Meowth were even more surprised at this. "But why Jessie. Why would he call for such a thing?" James asked, totally bewildered.

"Because, not only have we lost countless times to the twerp, but he had managed to stop many Team Rocket schemes in the past. Giovanni sees him as a threat to the organization and wants him eliminated before he can thwart any more of Team Rocket's plans. As I said before, this is a new Team Rocket, willing to do anything to get what they want...and that includes killing." Jessie finished with a cold smirk.

James and Meowth looked bewildered and terrified at their partner. She had changed over the years. At first, they were all in it together but as time progressed, Jessie became more and more controlling while James and Meowth were starting to question why they were even in the organization in the first place. And now, with the new 'killing' policy, both James and Meowth couldn't take it anymore.

"Well Jessie, if that's how Team Rocket is going to work from now on, then I quit. I can't do this anymore, I just can't." James said, slightly afraid of the reaction he would get from Jessie.

"I'm with James, Giovanni has lost it and so has anybody that associates themselves with Team Rocket!" Meowth agreed.

With them expecting Jessie to get mad and maybe physical, they were surprised when they heard Jessie start laughing.

"HAHA! You think I need you two clowns. Good riddance. If it wasn't for you, I could have made sure I finished the job."

James and Meowth looked at Jessie with disgust before James took off his Team Rocket shirt and threw it on the ground before him and Meowth walked toward Viridian City.

Jessie payed no attention to the two leaving as she was busy typing a number on a new device being manufactured by Team Rocket. It allowed people to call each other from wherever they were. She thought they called it a 'cellular phone'. She dialed the number for Giovanni's office and soon, his picture appeared on the phone's small screen.

"Giovanni Sir!" Jessie saluted.

"Ahh, Jessie. So had did our little plan go." Giovanni asked with a maniacal grin.

Jessie's face paled as she realized that she was not sure if she had succeeded or not. "S-Sir, I'm actually not sure if he is dead or not. His Pikachu sent us flying before I could tell... I definitely shot him though!"

Giovanni seemed to think for a moment. "Very well. I suppose you did your best. If he wasn't killed, I don't like our chances of us going to him to kill him again... We're going to have to bring him to us. You, James and Meowth need to get back to HQ asap."

"Hehe, about that...after they heard about the plan and the killing the kind of...quit." Jessie said nervously.

"Whatever, they were terrible agents anyways. Now return to HQ, we have much planning to do if we are going to lure Ketchum here." Giovanni Responded.

"Do have any ideas?" Jessie asked.

"I'm sure me and Ghetsis can come up with something." Giovanni said with a malicious smirk. With that, he hung up the phone. Leaving Jessie totally alone.

_Professor Oak's Lab_

It was early in the morning, about seven, as Samuel Oak had already woken up and drank his coffee in the living quarters section of the lab. The top priority for him today was to monitor Ash. He was really hoping he would pull through and would do anything he could to make that happen.

As he transitioned from the living quarters to the lab section of the lab, he spotted Delia and Brock, still resting peacefully. He smiled to himself, knowing that they would both be feeling good as new as soon as they woke up. His eyes then drifted to where Ash was sleeping.

Oak's eyes widened in surprise as he saw that Ash was not alone. There, sleeping with their heads resting on his bed, were Dawn, Serena and May. He should have known that they wouldn't be able to stay away from Ash for long. He was their best friend and in all honesty, he shouldn't be surprised.

Oak was planning on letting the party sleep for a while longer, but as he was walking to check Ash's vitals, he trip and hit the pan that held the sterilized surgical equipment he had used the day before.

This loud clang woke not only the three girls nearest Ash, but Delia and Brock as well. They all looked toward the professor who was laughing nervously.

"Hehe, sorry about that."

May was shocked and a little angry that the other girls had joined her for the night however, she had more important things to worry about at the moment...Delia and Brock were waking up.

Delia yawned and looked toward her son along with Brock, both were surprised to see him surrounded by his three beautiful traveling companions. The three, who were wide awake by now, looked toward Delia and Brock with massive blushes and feelings of embarrassment filling their chests.

However, Delia's shocked face turned to one of delight as she continued to look on. She was incredibly happy that Ash had such good friends that always wanted to be near him. Sure, she knew that all the girls probably had recognized their feelings for her son, but she was just happy that he had people looking out for him.

Brock looked extremely jealous. Why couldn't he have three attractive women by his bedside waiting for him to wake up? Brock ended up crying anime tears.

"Well, good morning girls." Delia said happily.

The girls all responded albeit with embarrassment still evident in their voices. Delia couldn't help but chuckle.

"If you girls could excuse me, I need to check Ash's vitals." Oak asked politely. All the girls were hesitant to move but complied; it was for the best that Ash got checked out.

Professor Oak checked everything and sighed , "Well...the good news is nothing seems to be worse, but nothing is better either. At this rate, I'm not sure when he will wake up."

The three girls looked down cast at the news. The only one still with a smile on their face was Delia. This seemed odd to Dawn, so she spoke.

"No offense Mrs. Ketchum, but how could you be smiling right now. I mean your son is basically in a coma."

Although Dawn's tone was slightly rude, she understood why. "Dawn, the reason I'm smiling is because I know that Ash is going to pull through. I have total faith that Ash will wake up and when he does, I want him to see a smiling face."

Delia's outlook on this whole situation was refreshing to everyone present. May, Dawn and Serena realized that they were going about this all wrong. They had to have faith in Ash just as he did in all of them. That and a bit of luck was all that they needed for Ash to wake up. Now, even the usually scientific Professor Oak, believed that regardless of the odds, Ash would wake up.

"Hey professor Oak, do you think we should tell all of Ash's pokemon what happened. I mean, I think they deserve to know." Serena suggested.

I already took care of that after you guys left. I gathered everybody up and told them everything. There was a lot of crying and heartache, but I assured them that Ash was strong and that he would pull through.

Dawn checked Ash's belt where he normally kept his poke balls to see if Oak had included his current party in the explanation. Seeing no poke balls on his belt, she assumed he did.

"Well, after giving all of that blood yesterday, I could use a BIG breakfast. I say we head over to the house and make a feast made for royalty!" Brock said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

The three girls looked a bit hesitant to leave Ash's side. Even though they were hungry, they wanted to be there for Ash.

Noticing their reluctance, Delia spoke up, "Come on girls, Ash will be fine and you have to eat. It won't be more than an hour and after, you can come right back here if you'd like. 

"Yeah, Ash seems to be doing okay. I don't think we have anything to worry about for the time being." Oak agreed.

Serena sighed and spoke for the group, "Okay. Let's go eat."

ay couldn't help but smile at the prospect of food, "Yeah! Hey Ash, I wonder which one of u swill fini-s-" May realized that Ash wouldn't be there with her this morning. She wanted Ash to wake up so badly that it hurt.

Instead of continuing, May held back her tears and smiled.

They soon after made it to the Ketchum residence for a big breakfast. Brock and Delia did the cooking as Mr. Mime set the table. During the large breakfast, everyone tried to forget about Ash's situation for the time being. But in the back of everyone's mind was Ash. No one knew how much longer they could deal with this.

"_I really hope he wakes up soon..."_ Dawn thought to herself, feeling very downcast.

Conversations were being attempted, but no one really felt the desire to talk. They ended up eating in near silence, just wanting to be back by Ash's side.

Finally, after what felt like forever to May, Dawn and Serena, everyone had finished breakfast and wanted to return to the lab. Oak had left Tracey in charge of watching over Ash while he was gone, but he knew that he had to be back soon to check on Ash again. His condition was very serious, so he had to check his vitals frequently to make sure that nothing was awry.

The walk back to the lab was like breakfast; silent. Misty, Max and Pikachu had opted to visit their Ash as well. Had they known about the earlier 'meeting', then they surly would have shown up as well. After all, they were just as worried as everyone else.

They soon arrived at the lab and entered to find a slightly frantic looking Tracey.

"Tracey? What's wrong?" Oak asked his assistant.

"Oh thank Arceus you're here! About a minute ago, Ash's vitals started to drop. I've been doing everything you told me to do if this happened but nothing is working!" Tracey exclaimed, exasperated.

Literally everyone's face paled. Ash was in a very bad spot right now and they all knew it. Tears started welling in their eyes as they watched professor Oak go to work on him.

The only sound for a while was Ash's heartbeat monitor. The beats were slowly but surely getting farther and farther apart.

Oak had been working on him for almost ten minutes at this point. He had tried everything he could and nothing was working. On the outside, Oak seemed calm and collected but inside, he was panicking. Soon after, he stopped working on the still deteriorating Ash.

"Professor! What are you doing?! Help him!" Dawn yelled, her eyes sprinkling tears down her cheeks.

Oak sighed and wiped a tear from his eye, I-I'm so sorry. I've tried everything I can, but nothing is working. If Ash keeps deteriorating at the rate he is, I'd say he has about ten minutes left to live." Oak had broken down as he finished the sentence.

Everyone in the lab had started bawling upon hearing the news. Serena had ran up to Oak and started hitting him in the chest.

"You bastard! You said you could fix him!" Serena sobbed as she hit the professor repeatedly in the chest. Rather than retorting, the crying professor pulled Serena into a hug, to which she accepted. She allowed herself to cry into his arms.

May was sobbing. All that was going through her mind was how her best friend was about to die...for saving her no less. This would be enough to push anybody over the edge and for May, this was more than enough. She started thinking about everything they had been through. How they had met. Him cheering her on in her contests. When she realized she loved him not a day earlier. How she would never get to tell him...

Similar thoughts were going through the heads of both Serena and Dawn.

Brock had managed to regain his composure enough to speak. "P-Professor. Go and get Ash's Lucario. There is something we have to try."

Oak's eyes widened as he realized what Brock was planning on doing. He released Serena from the hug and spoke. "Brock. You know that hasn't worked on a human. There's only about a 5 percent chance that this will work. Chances are... this will kill him."

Brock was getting frustrated, "So? If we don't do anything then Ash will die anyway! Now go and get his Lucario."

Brock's reasoning was impossible to beat, so Oak ran out to the pokemon ranch. He returned not a minute later with a crying Lucario by his side. It was evident that Oak had told him what happened and what he had to do.

Everyone except for Brock and Professor Oak looked clueless as to what was going on, but didn't question it. There was a chance that this could save Ash and that was all that mattered.

Lucario walked until he was standing over Ash. He wiped away his tears and focused.

"Okay Lucario...Use heal pulse." Brock Commanded. Lucario wasted no time in doing so; transferring his healing powers to his master and friend.

Using pokemon moves to heal humans was very controversial. In every trial ever done on a human so far, the patient has died. It seemed as though this power and humans were not meant to mix. Though there had been some science saying that it should be able to work. No matter what kind of info there was, this was their last hope.

Everyone looked on with hopeful eyes as Lucario continued to pour his power into Ash. After about three minutes of constant healing, Lucario collapsed, too exhausted to continue. Now...it was all up to fate.

Ash's pulse continued to get slower...and slower until finally...it stopped all together.

Just as everyone was about to cry even more...the beeping came back...and faster than ever. Soon it even returned to normal, something that hadn't happened since Ash was shot.

Not long after, Ash's eyes began to flutter until they finally opened. He looked around and noticed his friends and family all standing around him in what appeared to be...the lab?

They all had looks of shock and happiness on their faces.

Ash was a little stunned and seeing as he saw no one else was going to speak, he did. "Uhh...hey guys! Anyone care to tell me what just happened?"

**A/N: And there you have it! Chapter 3...Done! I know it's a lot shorter than last chapter but this way, I'll be able to get chapters out faster. Anyways, I need all of you guys to head to my profile and vote in the poll I have up there, it is very important to the story. Also make sure to leave a review or a PM. Those really inspire me to keep writing; feedback is a writers best friend. Look out for chapter 4 probably by the weekend. See ya!**


	4. Awakening and Whoah

A Trial of Will

Uhh...guys?" Ash asked the room full of stunned people. He wondered why no one would answer his question. All anybody was doing was staring at him slack jawed. Ash looked at everyone, thoroughly confused.

The reason for the stunned looks was simple. Ash had not only woken up, but he had woken up as if he was just in a casual sleep...like his life wasn't on the line.

Pikachu's and Lucario's eyes had begun to shine bright with joy as they watched their friend seem as good as new.

Dawn was the first to recover. Tears forming in her eyes, she ran up to Ash and wrapped him in a hug. Again, Ash was confused, but he hugged back. Ash couldn't help but blush with the position Dawn was in; She was practically on top of him during the hug. Obviously him and Dawn were friends, but why was she acting so emotional?

"Dawn...why are you crying?" Ash asked in a soothing tone. He wanted to comfort his friend, but he also wanted answers.

"I thought...that...i was going...to lose you." Dawn said in between sobs. Ash still had no idea what was going on, but he continued to return the hug, running his hand through her hair in order to comfort her.

By now, most everyone else had broken out of their stupor. Brock, Tracey, Oak and Max all had bright smiles on their faces. Statistically, Ash should be dead right now, but he pulled through just like always.

That left the girls. Serena, Delia and Misty were crying tears of joy. Serena sprinted to Ash and jumped on him, joining in on the hug he was sharing with Dawn. Ash just accepted her and began to comfort her by stroking her hair as well.

Delia soon walked over to her son, a look of absolute relief on her face. Dawn looked back for a second and saw her. She obviously wanted to hug her son, so she gestured to Serena for the both of them to get off of Ash.

Delia starred at Ash for a few seconds, before completely enveloping her son in a hug.

"Oh Ash! Thank Arceus you're okay. I-I didn't know what was going to happen. I'm just so..." Delia couldn't finish as she started to sob into her son's shoulder. Ash hated seeing his mom cry; he had to make her feel alright again. Ash allowed them to hug for a moment before he broke the hug and starred into his mother's eyes.

With a smile gracing his features, he spoke, "Mom. It's okay. I'm right here and I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, so please stop crying. I hate it when you cry." Delia smiled and wiped away her tears. Misty had a similar reaction to both Serena and Dawn as she attacked Ash with love. Their hug was shorter, but it meant just as much.

This whole time, May had been standing completely still, having no emotion on her face.

Ash was now looking around the room, almost expecting another ambush of love. That was when he met May's eyes. Ash smiled as he looked at the beautiful girl, as he often did.

The second Ash's eyes met hers, all the emotions she didn't know had built up in her released. It felt like a dam had broke in her mind, letting everything she was feeling flow freely. She immediately began crying and began walking up to Ash. Her walk turned into a speed walk, and then into a full out sprint. Ash had seen her coming and opened his arms to accept the obvious oncoming hug. However, May's hug was a lot more powerful to him, he felt that she was putting so much emotion into hugging him.

Ash was still only sitting up in his bed and this allowed for May to end up in a rather...provocative potion on top of Ash. She straddled his waist as the continued to hug each other. The whole time, May was mumbling inaudible things into his ear. He felt it wasn't the time to question anything, so he simply ran his fingers through her silky, brown locks.

Eventually, they had been hugging for over five minutes.

"Uhh, May?" Ash asked, though the only response he got was a light snore. Truth is, May hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Most of the night was spent worrying about Ash, She had just starred at his unconscious form for hours, caring not for her own exhaustion.

Now that she was certain that Ash was safe, she had fallen asleep where she felt the most comfortable...with Ash.

Ash silently motioned Brock over to the bed so that he could pick up May and place her on another bed in the room.

Obliging, Brock managed to pick up May and place her on another bed, all without disturbing her sleep. Ash sighed contently.

"Okay, so-" Ash began but was cut off by a somewhat frantic Misty.

"Ash!? Your eyes. Th-Their blue!"

"What are you talking about Misty? My my eyes are brown; they have always been brown." Ash responded.

He looked toward everyone in the room and the people that weren't too busy recovering from crying were all looking into Ash's eyes. It didn't overtake his whole pupil, but it was obvious that most of Ash's normally chocolate brown eyes had been replaced with a vibrant blue color.

"Uhhh...why are you guys staring at me like that?" Ash asked, a bit creeped out that most of his friends and family were just staring at him, not to mention he still had no idea what happened that led him to be where he currently was.

Instead of responding, Misty grabbed a hand mirror she had seen laying on a desk and handed it to Ash. He took it with some hesitancy and looked at his reflection. What he saw shocked him. Like everyone said, his eyes were a deep blue color.

"_Great...more that I have no idea about..." _Ash thought to himself.

"Okay...so my eyes are blue. What does that mean?" Ash asked.

"Well...I suppose it could be from having heal pulse used on you. I hate to say this but I really have no other explanation for this. However, the color does seem to be fading." Oak said. He was right about the fading color as well. It was hardly noticeable but to those with a trained eye such as professor Oak, he could see the color slowly returning to the usual brown.

"Wait, heal pulse?! You used a healing move on me?! I've seen the reports of past tests, I can't think of one person I read about that survived that!" Ash yelled angrily. He quieted his voice as he spoke however, as he didn't want to wake up May.

Oak put up his hands in defense. "Ash, believe me, we had no choice."

Ash just looked on, completely puzzled.

"Okay, now, can someone tell me what happened. Why were you guys all crying and why am I in Professor Oak's lab with this... dull aching in my back?" Ash asked, trying to reach the spot on his back where the pain was originating. By this time, Pikachu had jumped up on Ash and was currently laying in his lap.

Dawn looked surprise. "You mean you don't remember?" Luckily she had wiped away most of her tears and now only felt joy inside that Ash was alive.

"Nope. Not a thing." Ash confirmed.

"Well, let's start from the beginning." Brock said, taking the lead.

As Brock explained the story, bits and pieces returned to Ash, but he still couldn't remember everything. By the end, Ash looked wide eyed.

"Wow. So I almost died, huh?" Ash looked for confirmation. He received a multitude of nods. "Well that sucks..."

Everyone smiled brightly at what Ash had said. It was good to know that this experience hadn't changed him in any way.

"Well, at least it all worked out, right guys?" Ash asked, feeling chipper.

"But that's the thing Ash...you shouldn't have survived." Oak said.

"What do you mean professor." It was very safe to say that Ash as curious.

"Ash, you got shot twice and lost half your blood. That alone should have been enough to kill you, but you survived. Then, when everything looked completely hopeless and we all thought it was the end for you, something that should have never worked, did. Pokemon healing moves like heal pulse aren't known to work on humans. I'm almost certain that you are the first case where it ever has." Oak finished his long winded speech.

Ash rubbed his head sheepishly, "Hehe...I guess I got pretty lucky, huh?

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Ash then turned to face his Lucario. "Hey Lucario, thanks a lot for saving me. If it wasn't for you...I wouldn't be here. I'm really glad to have a friend like you."

Lucario simply smiled as Ash's Lucario wasn't very talkative. She did however, make her way to the side of Ash's bed and do something very uncharacteristic of a Lucario. She bent her head down and licked Ash's cheek. Ash laughed and rubbed her behind her ears, just how she loved.

Ash was grateful to Lucario, but she was grateful to him as well. To have a great trainer like Ash made her feel whole. Their partnership was strong; She would do anything for Ash and she knew that he would do the same. Ash returned Lucario to her pokeball before thanking her one more time.

Ash attempted to stand from his bed and found it a bit difficult to stand. He was still fairly weak from losing so much blood, but he just wanted to get home and get something to eat. Seeing Ash stumble, Dawn ran over to him and grabbed him around the waist, putting one of his arms around her shoulder.

Ash looked down at her in gratitude. Dawn simply looked at him with a huge smile on her face, she was really happy that she could help her friend...and the touching didn't hurt either. Ash put some weight on her but tried to keep most to himself. He appreciated what Dawn was trying to do, but she had to have a hard time supporting him.

After all, Ash was almost a foot taller than her and a hell of a lot heavier. Once he made it to the door of the lab, he had regained enough control to at least walk on his own, albeit slowly. He then turned to face the group.

"Come on everyone. I could really use a home cooked meal right now." Ash said, smiling to his mother. She smiled in return, happy to get her son what he wanted.

Everyone had followed Ash out the door after Brock had opted to carry the sleeping form of May back to the household.

Even though Ash was walking okay on his own, Dawn had opted to keep her arm around him. Was it for if he began to feel weak again, or just for her own personal comfort and enjoyment, she wasn't sure. Ash didn't mind at all. Even if he was walking fine, it was nice to have Dawn close to him.

As they walked, Serena watched in quite a bit of jealousy of her blue haired friend. She shook it off soon after though as she felt it was probably just to catch him if he were to feel weak again. However, that didn't stop Serena for desiring to be the one helping Ash along.

"Hey Dawn, want me to help Ash the rest of the way?" Serena asked as innocently as possible.

"No thanks Serena, I'm perfectly happy here with Ash." Dawn responded back, smiling at Ash as she spoke.

Serena sighed; couldn't blame a girl for trying.

The group continued their walk,with Brock handing May off to Tracey about half way through in order to take a break from carrying her. Soon, they had arrived back at the Ketchum residence. After greeting Mr. Mime and assuring him that Ash was okay, Delia and Brock rushed off to the kitchen to make a huge meal for everyone.

Ash's mouth was watering while they cooked, causing Dawn and Serena to giggle. While the food was being made, Dawn, Ash and Serena had all converged in the living room while everyone else was in the kitchen. They began telling more stories of the past, laughing and having a great time.

The were all in the middle of a huge laughing fit when Dawn recovered and spoke. "Hey Ash?"

Ash wiped a tear from his eye and got his laughter under control as he turned towards Dawn. At this point, Serena was listening intently as well.

"I just wanted to say that...that I'm really glad you're okay." Dawn blushed. "I-I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

Ash looked at her with a sweet smile and migrated over to her. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder, causing Dawn's blush to intensify. He was about to speak but was silenced when Serena came over and sat next to him and spoke.

"Y-Yeah Ash. If you would have... I-I'm just really glad that your okay. I don' think I could live without you either." Finished letting a few tears drip down her face.

In response, Ash reached over a wiped the tears away with his thumb before putting his other arm around her. By this time, both girls had their heads resting on Ash's shoulder.

"You know I'd never leave you like that. I'll always be here for you, both of you, no matter what. You are two of the most important people in my life and I will always do anything I can to protect you. I'm sorry I made you feel so scared earlier." Ash spoke truthfully. He had proved all that he had said multiple times in the past and both girls knew it.

Rather than responding, both Dawn and Serena both enjoyed the warm embrace that they were receiving, comfortably resting on Ash's shoulders.

"Ash, Dawn, Serena, food is ready!" They head Delia yell.

The girls almost didn't have time to get their heads off of Ash's shoulders before he bolted from the couch and into the kitchen.

Serena and Dawn looked at each other and couldn't help but smile. No matter how important they were to him, food would always be just as high. They walked to the kitchen, content with the time spent with Ash.

Ash had entered the kitchen, stomach grumbling and ready to eat. He was not disappointed when he saw various lunch items set throughout the table. However, no matter how hungry he was, he felt he should wait for everybody.

Over the years, Ash's table manners had improved at least a little bit. That is not to say however, that he still didn't pig out when he ate, he was just better at controlling himself somewhat.

"Hey, should we wake up May before we eat?" Ash asked, as everyone was now in the kitchen. When they had gotten back home, Tracey had placed May up in Ash's room in his bed. She needed rest and was currently getting it.

"I don't think so. She had a long and rough night last night and I think she needs some more rest." Brock said to his long time friend. He then turned his attention to Serena and Dawn. "in fact, I'm surprised you two haven't crashed yet, you two had long nights last night as well."

"Yeah, I think it's safe to say that we are both pretty tired. We'll probably take a nap after breakfast, good idea Serena?" Dawn asked her honey blonde friend.

Serena looked up, a mouth full of food, and nodded. Everyone laughed at her 'Ash like' antics and sat down to eat. Of course, Ash ate most of the food, but most everyone was content with what they had gotten.

The breakfast was filled with interesting conversation; most everyone was just trying to get the fact that Ash had almost died this morning out of their heads.

They all talked for hours, well passed when everyone was done eating. By the time the conversation was broken by a loud yawn from Dawn, it was already 1:00 PM.

"I think I'm going to take that nap now." Dawn spoke, obviously tired. Serena nodded in agreement and followed Dawn into the living room. Since May had Ash's bed, they both opted for the couches in the living room. They were both asleep almost instantly.

"Well Ash, are you going to nap as well?" Brock asked.

"Nah, I'm pretty awake for a guy who lost half of his blood. I never got to thank you by the way. You to mom, thank you for the blood." Ash said.

Both Delia and Brock smiled, "Oh you don't have to thank me dear! I would do it for you a million times over!" Delia exclaimed happily.

Brock nodded in agreement. "Yeah Ash, I'm just glad I'm the same blood type as you and that you're okay now."

Ash smiled at their kindness. The room then drifted into a comfortable silence until Oak decided to break it.

"So Ash, what are you planning on doing today?"

"Well, I was hoping to go see my pokemon at the lab. I mean, I've been home for two full days now and haven't seen them yet. And even though Pikachu has already seen them, I bet he wants to go play again, right buddy?!" Ash said.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu replied with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Hey Ash?" Ash heard a quiet voice and looked to see that it had come from Max.

"What's up Max?" Ash responded with his trademark smile.

"Well I was wondering if we could have that battle now? I can't wait for it!" Max's voice was full of confidence.

Ash laughed as he was reminded so much of himself when he looked at Max. "Well Max. As much as I want to, I think we should wait until tomorrow."

Max's face went sullen. "What? Why!"

"Well, besides the fact that I almost died this morning, I think it would be best to wait until everyone is 100 percent. I'm sure everyone, especially your sister want to see the battle." Ash spoke kindly.

Max blushed in embarrassment. How could he forgot what had happened to Ash just recently. It had barely been a few hours since he had woken up what everyone thought would be a long-term coma.

"Oh...hehe...right. Tomorrow is good for me! Get ready to lose Ash!"

Ash again laughed at Max's enthusiasm. "We'll see Max... We'll see." Ash responded cryptically.

"Hey Ash, didn't you want to go to the lab?." Brock reminded Ash, who was still looking at Max with determination written all over his face.

Ash broke out of his stare down and responded "Well then it's settled, tomorrow, we battle. I'm going to head over to your lab now professor."

"Actually, me and Tracey should be heading back as well. Why don't we head back together?" Oak told Ash as Tracey emerged from the other room, looking ready to leave already.

"Sounds good professor! Let's head out now. Bye mom, I'll be back in a couple of hours." Ash said while running towards the front door with Pikachu right behind him.

Both Delia and Brock shook their heads at his childish behavior. Even though he was 18, pokemon still made him act like that excited 10 year old from back in the day.

Tracey and Professor Oak walked out the front door much more calmly, hoping that they would be able to catch up to Ash.

_Oak's Lab_

As Tracey and the Professor arrived at the doors of the lab, they noticed Ash standing there, breathing slightly heavy.

"Ash, did you run the whole way here?" Tracey asked/

"Yup! I just can't wait to see everyone again!" Ash responded. Both men listening were amazed by Ash's conditioning. Ash had sprinted all the way to the lab and it was by no means a short distance. Yet despite that, Ash was barely breathing hard.

Ash rubbed his head sheepishly, "The only problem is...the doors are locked so... I guess running here was kind of pointless when I had to wait for you guys to get in anyway."

Both Oak and Tracey shook their heads and smiled as Oak unlocked the door to his lab. Oak was about to enter the lab when he was cut off by Ash butting in front of him.

Ash looked over his shoulder at the older man, "Sorry professor! I just really want to see my pokemon!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added in his own apology as he followed Ash out to the ranch.

The two best friends reached the ranch in no time at all. Ash was practically shaking in excitement. He could already see some of his pokemon, but it seemed as if none had seen him yet.

"Hey everybody! I'm back!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs. All of hiss Pokemon's ears perked up at the unmistakable sound of their trainer's voice.

Ash heard a low rumble. It started to get louder and louder as he watched all of his pokemon approach him at breakneck speeds. The smile on Ash's face dropped immediately as he realized what was about to happen.

His Tauros were leading the charge and as soon as they reached Ash, they scooped him up and brought him along as they continued to run. Ash was laughing but he was a little bit scared on the inside. He knew that this was his Tauros' way of showing him affection, but it was still pretty dangerous.

Ash felt a pair of vines wrap around his body and lift him from his Tauros. Once he was placed on the ground, he looked for his savior only to be met with the sight of his Venasaur and along with him, may's Venasaur.

Even though through most of Bulbasaurs' life, he didn't want to evolve, he finally did. It had happened almost 3 years ago now. May had sent her Venasaur to Oak's lab as she was missing Ash's Bulbasaur. It started out fine, but after a while, things got awkward for the two grass types. They were deeply in love, but the size difference was too great to ignore. Sensing his lovers unhappiness, Bulbasaur did what he thought would make her happy.

He had walked up to her and right in front of her eyes evolved not once, but twice into a fully grown Venasaur that was even bigger than May's. Bulbasaur or Venasaur now, had more than enough experience to evolve two times. After holding out on evolving for so long, it really wasn't hard to believe.

After that, the two's relationship has been great and May's Venasaur is eternally grateful for what Ash's Venasaur had done for her.

"Venasaur! How are you buddy! Obviously you and her are doing well." Ash said all of this while embracing his earliest grass type in a big hug.

"Vena Venasaur!" Venasaur replied happily. May's Venasaur chimed in as well, happy to see Ash again.

As soon as Ash had released his old friend from the hug, he was tackled to the ground by another green pokemon. Ash didn't even have to look to know who this pokemon was.

"Hey Bayleef! How are you? Haha! Stop! That Tickles! Bayleef was happily nudging Ash with her head, tickling him in the process. Bayleef still acted like this towards Ash even though she had seen him quite recently.

With Ash's new way of training, he made sure to always be switching out his pokemon so that they could train together. It was also great getting to see all of his pokemon much more often than in the past.

After a few minutes, Ash was finally able to get Bayleef to calm down and stood up. He looked around to see that all of his pokemon, even the more proud ones such as Sceptile and Charizard, were surrounding him, all with huge smiles on their faces.

As Ash saw his Charizard and Lucario, he looked towards his belt where he always kept his poke balls. He noticed that he wasn't currently carrying any. He thought that Professor Oak must have released his current team when he was unconscious.

Ash shook the thought out of his head and smiled back at all of his pokemon until he was tackled yet again, this time, by a large purple mass.

"Hey Muk!" Ash mumbled from underneath his very friendly pokemon.

"Muuuk!" Muk said happily as he continued to smother Ash. Eventually, Ash managed his way out from underneath his Muk and turned to face the rest of his pokemon.

He looked back toward all of his pokemon, many of which had tears in their eyes. He was a bit confused as to why they were like this, then it hit him. Someone must have told them what had happened.

"Guys..." Ash started in a gentle tone. "I'm fine. I made it through and everything is perfectly okay now, you have nothing to worry about."

With that said, all of his pokemon converged onto him and entered into a large group hug. Each and every pokemon was grateful that their trainer was okay. After they had heard what happened, all were worried about him. To everyone of his pokemon, Ash was the best trainer in the world, and an even better friend.

"Thanks guys. I love you too." Ash said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Eventually, everyone broke off of Ash but still stood near him. Ash took a few steps back so he could see all of the pokemon he had acquired through the years.

In his time between Kalos and his second Journey through Kanto, he had acquired a few new pokemon.

He looked toward his Azumarill. He had met her during his second time through Johto. He had wondered onto her on route 35 in a small body of water. After helping her escape from the clutches of Team Rocket, she was very grateful to him and requested to come with him, to which Ash was happy to oblige. Especially when he had found out that his Azumarill had a duel Water-Fairy typing. It was slightly odd to find a fairy type in Johto at the time so Ash assumed that Azumarill had once belonged to another trainer, who had acquired her in Johto.

Next up he met eyes with his Pupitar. Also during his Johto journey, Ash had returned to the Larviatar he had helped out during his first Johto journey. When he had found him again, he had asked if he wanted to join him to which he happily complied. Now that he was older, both him and his mother felt that he should go see the world, and who better to give him the opportunity than their favorite human.

He then spotted the rest of his more 'new' pokemon. Houndoom, Arcanine, Conkeldurr, Ninetails, and Rhyperior, all of which were fairly standard captures.

He looked around more, taking in each and every pokemon's appearance. He stopped on his Garchomp. His Garchomp had dulled down on his biting of heads ever since she evolved, something he was very grateful for.

"So everyone! How is your training going?" Ash yelled to his pokemon. He got a positive response from every single one of his pokemon. He knew his pokemon would never lie to him, so he knew they had all been training, even Snorlax. It was also evident by how they all looked. Every one of his pokemon looked to be in pristine shape and any breeder would agree that Ash had done a great job raising and training his pokemon.

Ash smiled at all of his pokemon and praised them on how great of a job they were doing.

"Hey guys, how about we all take the day off and just hang out and play!?" Ash asked, only to receive another roar of approval. Ash knew that he had just taken a day off yesterday, but he thought he had earned another after getting shot twice.

While thinking about his shoulder, he noticed that he felt almost no pain and when he felt the wounds, he could feel that they were almost completely closed up. He was amazed that that a pokemon move could heal him so effectively. He really hoped that one day, everyone would be able to utilize pokemon healing moves as it would obviously help a lot of people.

He spotted his Lucario and gave her another thank you nod before running off, laughing and allowing his pokemon to chase him. Even Sceptile and Charizard, who were always itching to train, had decided it would be a good idea to take a break and just play with their trainer and best friend.

A few hours later, Ash and many of his pokemon were laying in the grass, watching the clouds float through the sky. Some of his pokemon had run off to continue playing. Some playing tag and others doing various other things.

Ash was impressed that they had the energy to keep going after three hours of playing. Even with his great conditioning, Ash was utterly spent. His eyes were growing heavy and he decided to take a nap where he was happiest, amongst his pokemon.

Before he drifted off, he caught his Lucario's attention before she ran off with Sceptile.

""Hey Lucario! Do you think you could wake me up in about an hour?" Ash asked his pokemon. He had put this task on Lucario because she was one of Ash's smarter pokemon, completely understanding how humans told time. She nodded to him before running of with Sceptile to join a gang consisting of many of Ash's strongest pokemon. This included his Charizard, Garchomp, Infernape and Floatzel.

Although Ash could easily say that these were some of his strongest pokemon, all of his pokemon were incredibly strong. Pikachu especially had grown leaps and bounds over the years and was definitely Ash's strongest pokemon.

Ash closed his eyes with a smile on his face, attempting to clear his mind of any and all things while Pikachu curled up next to his head for his own nap.

Ash's tranquil state of mind was interrupted by his own curiosity. How could Jessie, someone he thought he knew pretty, try to kill somebody? Sure, he knew that she worked for an evil organization, but Ash had always thought that she had some good in her. That thought was squashed when she tried to kill May and himself.

His mind then drifted to James and Meowth. He had been told that they were the one's that had stopped Jessie from shooting more than she already had. He felt some form of happiness that he was right about both James and Meowth being good on the inside. If it hadn't been for them turning on their own teammate, he may have died. Ash just hoped that they were okay. Jessie couldn't be happy with them and he no longer knew what she was capable of.

Ash couldn't help but wonder that Jessie's sudden change had been her own doing, or the whole organization changing their tactics. HE silently prayed for the first because if Team Rocket was now willing to kill, then he knew that he would be high on that list. After all, he had stopped Team Rocket countless times in the past.

Shaking this though out of his mind, Ash finally found the ability to completely clear his mind. His quiet mind allowed the 18 year old trainer to drift of into a comfortable sleep.

_Team Rocket HQ_

Jessie had returned to HQ as soon as she could following the request of her boss and his new associate, Ghetsis. She passed through various corridors and rooms before coming across two very large doors, guarded by two grunts.

Jessie simply flashed her identification to the two guards and was allowed access into the room. The doors creaked open and Jessie made her way in.

Behind the doors was a large, nicely furnished office. She had been in here a few times, but she still couldn't get over how nice the office was. She was brought out of her admiration when she spotted Giovanni sitting behind a desk, his Persian by his side.

Across from him, also seated, was Ghetsis. After Team Plasma was brought down, partially by Ash no less, he was arrested. Although, after escaping prison, he had found refuge in Team Rocket. He had promised Giovanni with his help, that they could rule the world. Also, even though Ash Ketchum was a thorn in Giovanni's side as well, it was mainly Ghetsis' idea that he had to be eliminated.

"Ah, Jessie. Good to see you." Giovanni asked in a calm voice. This was somewhat suprising to Jessie as the boss was always somewhat cold and harsh when he spoke.

"Hello sir. Do you happen to have any information as to if my mission was successful. Did that little Ketchum twerp die?" Jessie asked hopefully.

"Actually no, he didn't" Giovanni responded, a cool smile still gracing his lips.

Jessie was now utterly confused. If her mission had failed, then why was Giovanni so happy. And it looked as if Ghetsis was just as content.

"If you don't mind me asking sir, then why are you content right now. I mean, I failed my mission. I was honestly expecting you to scream at me when you said that the twerp was still alive." Jessie spoke, slightly intimidated.

"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie." Giovanni started. "Although you did not manage to kill Ketchum, you did not fail." Jessie looked at him, even more confused. "For one, we managed to ween out the weak in James and Meowth. If they are not willing to kill, then they have no place in the new Team Rocket."

Jessie's face grew slightly angry as she thought back to her now ex partners.

"And also, we have a new plan to get Ketchum.' Ghetsis added with a maniacal smile on his face.

"What is it sir?" Jessie asked, curious.

"I will explain it to you in due time. I will say this however. I don't expect us to be able to just march in and attempt to shoot him as you tired to again. So the only thing we can do, is bring him to us." Giovanni explained.

"And how will we do that sir." Jessie questioned.

"It's simple. We take something,or in this case someone, that is so important to Ketchum, that he has no choice but to try and get it back... And who more important to a young man than the person that gave them life? As Giovanni explained the basics of the idea, Jessie's face grew a smirk.

This would_ definitely _work.

_Oak's Ranch, One Hour after beginning of Nap_

Ash awoke from the constant nudging from his Lucario. He yawned as he sat up and thanked his pokemon before she ran back to join her friends.

He was still feeling quite tired but he knew if he slept anymore, he would not be able to sleep at night; He was already risking that by napping now. He gently awoke Pikachu and looked at his poke gear to check the time.

"_Geez, time really flew today."_ Ash thought to himself. The clock read 7 P.M. The evidence to this was backed up by the slowly setting sun in the distance.

He cursed himself for staying so late as he had promised his mother that he would only be gone for a couple of hours. He just hoped that she would understand that he had just wanted to spend some time with his pokemon.

After waving a quick goodbye to all of his pokemon, promising that a battle would take place tomorrow, he made his way through the lab.

He also bid a goodbye to both Professor Oak and Tracey before heading home.

Once he arrived at his house, he took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for the yelling he was most likely going to receive from his mother.

He entered the house slowly and heard conversation coming from the kitchen. He entered to see nearly everybody sitting around the table, awaiting the newly finished food to be served.

"Ash! You're back!" Dawn exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and hugging him. Ash looked a bit frazzled at the action, Dawn usually didn't hug him for a trivial reason such as being gone for a few hours.

"Hey Dawn." Ash said, still holding Dawn. They released the hug not long after it began and Dawn sat back down at the table.

Ash was going to sit down as well, but then he was hugged by another person. He looked down to see Serena's face smiling up at him. "Hey Ash!"

Ash found it a bit weird that the girls were acting this way, but again, he returned the hug regardless of his confusion.

"Hey Serena." They separated from the hug and Ash addressed the rest of the room.

"Hey everybody. Sorry I'm a little late, I just got caught up with seeing my pokemon and all."

Ash was looking for a response and hoping that it wouldn't be from his mother, as he was afraid that she might be mad. That hope was smashed as Delia began to speak.

"It's okay honey! I know you just lost track of time while playing with your pokemon. I understand. Plus, you made it just in time for dinner!"

Ash inwardly sighed in relief. Being late was a huge pet peeve to his mother and he was definitely late.

Ash looked around the room and noticed that May was absent.

"Hey, where is May?" Ash asked, leaving the question open to anyone that would answer.

"She's still asleep Ash." Broke chimed in. "I tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't budge. She was really worried about you last night and I think it really took a toll on her. It took a tool on all of us."

Ash looked down in a bit of shame. "I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble you guys."

The room was silent for a few seconds before everyone began to laugh. Ash was confused until Dawn spoke up.

"Ash, only you would apologize for getting shot. It's not your fault that we were worried about you. That's what people do, they worry about people they care about" Dawn finished speaking with a light blush on her face.

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and sat down to enjoy another lovely home cooked meal by the two best chefs he knew.

Dinner went be quickly and the conversations lastly late into the evening. By the time people started leaving the kitchen and heading to bed, It was already 11 PM.

Ash was amazed that May was still asleep. As much as he knew it wasn't his fault, he still felt bad that he made her worry to the point of absolute exhaustion. He was broken by his thoughts when he heard a yawn from next to him.

He had completely forgot that he and Serena were the only one's still night in bed, but it was obvious to tell that Serena wouldn't last that much longer.

"Ash, I'm heading to bed. I'll see you in the morning, goodnight." Serena said as she hugged Ash again. Ash assumed that he would just have to get used to all the hugging tha twas going on now, not that he minded it.

With Serena gone, that left Ash all alone in the kitchen, as Pikachu had long since gone to bed. He cursed himself for taking that nap earlier in the day. Because of it, he was not tired at all at the moment. Not wanting to just sit in the kitchen alone, but also not wanting to go to bed, Ash made his way to one of his favorite spots.

He made his way into the back yard, leaving the back porch light off so that he could see the stars better. He walked over to a bench swing that his mother had put in many years ago.

Whenever Ash couldn't sleep, he would always come out here and look at the stars until he got tired. Sometimes he would be out there for hours and even fall asleep out there. Tonight however, he just wanted to enjoy watching the stars, so that is what he did.

_Ash's Room_

May's eyelashes began to flutter and soon, her eyes opened fully. She tried to get her bearings as she had no idea where she was. All that she remembered before falling asleep was seeing Ash wake up and hugging him with all her love.

Now, she was in a very dark room on a bed. She heard a light snoring to her left and looked down to see Misty and Serena sleeping in sleeping bags. She then looked to her right and saw Dawn, sleeping on a cot. May looked at the alarm clock stationed on the bedside table and noticed it read 11:30 PM

She was surprised that she had sleep this long and silently groaned as she knew she would have a hard time getting back to sleep that night. She was going to attempt to go back to sleep immediately but was stopped when she heard her stomach grumble.

May was starving. Normally, she ate a lot and on this day, she had eaten hardly anything. She groaned and made her way silently out of Ash's room, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

May's eyes had adjusted to the dark, so she didn't feel the need to turn on the bright lights of the kitchen and disturb her eyes. She waltzed to the fridge and grabbed a bagful of turkey along with about 8 rice balls.

She proceeded to make and eat two turkey sandwiches and eat all of the rice balls. Once she was done, she walked back towards the refrigerator to put away the mustard she had used for her sandwiches.

However, she stopped mid stride when she looked out the window into the back yard and saw the silhouette of a person on a bench swing. She knew it had to be somebody from the house who couldn't sleep like her. Knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, she walked into the backyard, looking for a conversation with whomever was on the swing.

She was expecting to find either Dawn, Serena or Misty as they seemed like they lost sleep over worrying about Ash as well. As she approached however, she noticed the silhouette of a hat on top of this persons head, which meant it could only be one person.

"H-Hey Ash." May said with little confidence in her voice.

Ash jumped slightly as he wasn't expecting anyone. He then looked to see who it was and immediately calmed down. He put his trademark smile on his face and spoke. "Hey there sleeping beauty. Nice nap?

May thanked Arceus that it was dark out so that Ash couldn't see her blush. May didn't respond, so Ash scooted over on the bench swing and gestured for May to join him.

"Care to join me?" Ash asked. Again, rather than responding, she approached the swing and sat down next to Ash. Due to the fact that the swing wasn't that large, both Ash and May's sides were touching slightly as the sat.

"So did you just wake up?" Ash questioned. May nodded in response.

"Got hungry?" Ash asked. It truly did amaze her how well Ash could read her. May nodded again, causing Ash to frown slightly.

"Not feeling very talkative tonight are we?" Again, May nodded in response but this time, added in a shrug.

"Okay, no problem. We can just watch the stars together then" Ash said as May moved her head until she was facing the sky, gazing at the beautiful stars.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Ash decided to break it.

"You know, I used to come her all the time when I was growing up. When I couldn't sleep, I would always come out here, to this swing and just watch the stars." May turned to watch Ash speak as he just continued to gaze at the stars. "Whenever something is stressing me out, or I have a big decision I have to make, anything really, I could just come at here and gaze at the stars. That always calms me down; It's just so beautiful.

The again sat in a comfortable silence for a while longer. May's eyes never left Ash's face. After a while, tears started to well up in her sapphire blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry Ash." May mumbled very quietly. Ash couldn't make out what she had said, but he knew that she said something.

"What was that May?" Ash asked.

"I said I'm sorry!" May exclaimed, allowing tears to stream down her cheeks. Ash was deeply concerned for one of his closest friends.

"For what May?" Ash questioned seriously. He wanted to help her in anyway he could and the only way he could do that was by knowing what she was talking about.

"It's all my fault! I'm the reason you got shot! I'm the reason you lost so much blood! I'm the reason that you almost di-" May's breath hitched as she attempted to say the last word. It was honestly to horrible for her to speak of; she literally couldn't get the word out of her mouth.

By now she was fully on crying. Tears cascaded down her flawless features and puddled on her lap. Ash looked at her sadly

It all made sense to him now. Why she was apologizing, everything. May blamed herself for the fact that Ash almost lost his life. Sure, she was the initial target for the bullet and sure, Ash had taken that bullet for her, but her in no way blamed May for what happened.

Ash turned until he was facing her and reached one hand under her chin and slowly pulled her head up until they were face to face.

"May, I want you to listen to me." Ash started while wiping away some of May's tears with his thumb. "In know way, shape or form is what happened to me your fault."

"But-" May tried to cut in but was silenced by Ash.

"No May, just listen. " Ash's voice was stern, but also sweet and comforting. May decided to just let Ash speak.

"May, nothing that happened is your fault. It's not your fault that Jessie had a gun. It's not your fault that you got shot at. And it's certainly not your fault that I got shot. It was _my_ decision to take those bullets. I couldn't see you hurt May. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself had I let you take those bullets rather than me. That situation could happen a million times over and I would never change a thing about what happened."

By the time Ash had finished, he placed a comforting hand on her own, shaky hand.

By now, May had stopped crying, leaving behind red, puffy, but still beautiful eyes. Her sapphire blue eyes had met Ash's and she saw how serious about everything he had just said.

The two continued to stare at each other for a few moments before May brought Ash into a hug and broke down once again.

Ash hugged her back immediately. Seeing May like this absolutely broke his heart and he felt he had to help her. He ran a comforting hand up and down her back as she cried into his shoulder.

"Thank...you...Ash." He heard May say in between sobs.

Ash brought her out of the hug when she said this, much to May's displeasure.

"For what May." Ash asked. He honestly thought that he didn't deserve a thank you fro what he had done for her. He felt as if he had just done what any friend would have done for another. Boy was he wrong.

May had got her sobs under control and could now speak clearly. "Thank you...for saving my life."

Ash smiled. "You don't have to th-" Ash was cut of by May.

"Yes I don Ash. That was the most amazing thing that anyone has ever done for me and ever will do for me, so let me speak." Ash got the message and let her speak.

"Thank you for taking those bullets for me. Thank you for saving my life. And thank you...for being you." May finished, allowing one last tear to fall. May knew that meeting Ash that day in Hoenn was by far the best day of her life.

Ash only smiled in response. The two continued to stare at each other. After a few minutes both had plain faces. Ash was happy that he could comfort one of his best friends as he stared and admired her perfectly blue eyes. May was lost in Ash's chocaholic brown eyes, thoughts of everything he had done for her the entire time she had known him flooded her brain.

Ash had always been the greatest person that she had ever known. She admired him even more than her own parents after what he had done for her. He was willing to die for her, and that made May feel amazing; that she was so important to someone else that they were willing to have their life end just to save hers. Everything that had happened had caused May's love for Ash to grow immensely. There was zero doubt in her mind that she loved him and she felt that she could sit there and stare at him all night.

They had been staring at each other for nearly five minutes when May did something even she wasn't expecting.. She guessed it was because of everything that had happened, the fact that she had almost lost him but she wasn't sure. May had leaned in quickly towards Ash's face and captured his lips in her own. May put all of the love she felt for him behind that kiss. It felt like absolute heaven to her. She always felt that the 'fireworks' analogy was a little cheesy but that was by far the best way to explain what she was feeling while she kissed Ash. Even if she didn't realize what she was doing, she still savored every moment of the tender kiss.

Ash's eyes widened in total surprise. He was kissing one of his best friends and he didn't know how to feel about it. But it felt too good at the moment, he decided to just be confused later. He began to kiss back and about 5 seconds later, Ash broke the kiss, no longer being able to control his confusion.

Both stared at each other for a few seconds before May bolted from her seated position and ran towards the house. She had just realized what she had just done, and she couldn't help but be incredibly embarrassed. She didn't mean to kiss him, her love for him had just compelled her to. She felt she was simply too afraid to face Ash at the moment as she ran towards the house. She heard Ash calling her name, but she ignored him as she entered the house and made her way back up to Ash's room.

Ash attempted calling May's name to get her to come back. He was confused but most of all, he didn't want May to feel embarrassed. When he saw that she ignored his calls, he sighed to himself and sat back down on the swing.

He brought his fingers to his lips where May had kissed him not 20 seconds prior. He couldn't deny that it felt good, but he was so confused that it almost hurt.

Ash sighed once again as he spoke to himself, "Well...there goes any chance of me sleeping tonight."

**A/N: Wow! **

**Advanceshippers must be very happy with how that ended ;). And to the supporters of the other ships, don't worry. I promise that each girl will have their moments with Ash until he makes hi final decision. I would also like to remind everyone to vote for the poll on my profile. It has to do with who Ash will end up with. I, personally, am not choosing who Ash will end up with, I'm leaving that up to you guys! So make sure to vote in that poll and make sure to give this story a follow so you don't miss any new updates. Also if you could, please leave a review or a PM telling me what you thought of the chapter or the story as a whole. These comments really encourage me to write and it would mean a lot to me. Thanks and I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Oh, and by the way, this story has now reached over 2,000 views! Thank you all for viewing! It means a lot to me.**

**Stay tuned for next chapter for the aftermath of the kiss amongst other things. The main plot of the story will kick in soon and the action will follow along with that. Also next chapter will be my first attempt to write a pokemon battle, so wish me luck.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and See Ya!**


	5. Battles and Embarrassment

**A/N: I know that most of this story has been a lot about romance thus far. Romance will continue to play a role in the story, but starting very soon, the main plot will begin and there will be much more action to go along with it. Just wanted to point that out. Read, Review and most importantly, enjoy! :)**

**P.S: If you haven't figured out yet that thoughts are in '_italics', _well now you know.**

**P.P.S: Double update this weekend because it's labor day weekend! WOO! Chapter 6 will come tomorrow!**

A Trial of Will

May was trying to keep her sobs silent as she reached the door to Ash's room. She stood outside the door, getting her breathing under control; She didn't want to be heard by the other girls in the room. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She was more embarrassed in this moment than when she failed to reach the grand festival back in Johto.

She knew why she did it. She had come to terms with the fact that she loved Ash with all of her heart. He had done so much for her and he was by far the most important person in her life, but she still couldn't believe she actually did it.

She began pacing, still in the hallway just outside of Ash's room.

"_Oh Arceus! Why did I do that? Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!" _May mentally scolded herself.

Eventually, she stopped pacing and slid down the wall into a seated position, running a hand through her currently bandana-less hair. She wished she had the courage to just face Ash. She should have turned back when she heard him calling after here. Maybe if she had heard what Ash thought about what happened, she would feel better.

What was really killing her was not knowing how Ash would react to the kiss. She was worried that this may alter their friendship and make things awkward, something she desperately didn't want to happen.

Although, even with all the embarrassment and uncertainty she was feeling, she couldn't help but to relish in the feeling the kiss gave her. She brought her fingers to her lips as for a moment, she forgot about the consequences her actions might have and smiled.

No matter how embarrassed she felt, somewhere inside, she was glad that she did it. Not that she doubted it, but the way the kiss made her feel confirmed the undeniable love that she felt for him.

"Maybe...Maybe he feels the same way I do..." May said to herself hopefully. At the thought, she smiled and finally calmed down enough to enter the room and attempt to sleep.

Her head hit the pillow, hope filling her mind, and slowly began to drift off into what would be a very good nights sleep.

_Backyard_

After May had ran off, Ash had continued to sit on the porch swing and star at the stars for hours. So many thoughts were running through his head that it gave him a headache.

Before May had come outside, Ash had been at least a little tired but at this time, he was fully awake. Usually, watching the night sky would allow him to clear his mind and relax, but even that wasn't helping at the moment. He had too many questions. Questions that he didn't want to ask May, as he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

"_Why would she do that...?" _Ash pondered. Over the years, Ash had matured a great deal, but he still had trouble understanding women. He could think of many different reasons why she might have kissed him, but one specifically kept jumping to the forefront of his mind.

"_Does she...like me?" _This thought had even surprised himself. May was one of his best friends, there was no way that they could be anything more than that...right?

Ash liked May a lot, but he didn't know if he _'liked' _May. Sure, he loved spending time with her, but that could be said of everyone of his friends. He also loved how they were so alike, but could that actually mean something?

Ash grunted in frustration and pulled on his hair. This action had caused him to wince in pain where his wounds were located. Even though heal pulse had made him heal quickly, he still felt a dull pain when he lifted his left arm too high. Because of this, another theory entered his mind.

_Maybe...Maybe she was just really appreciative of what I did for her. I have heard of cases like this happening before...Yeah. That's gotta be it! I can't believe I thought May actually liked me like that" _Ash rationalized to himself. He convinced himself that this was the case but in the back of his mind, he was still as unsure as ever.

He laid back on the swing and got as comfortable as he could. Now that he had at least some sort of reason as to why May had kissed him, he was feeling slightly tired. He let out a yawn and closed his eyes as one last thought flowed through his mind.

"_I just hope this doesn't change anything..."_

_Next morning, 6 AM_

Ash was tossing and turning in his sleep. He was having some kind of odd dream where he was on a journey of some sort. However, it wasn't the typical 'travel a region' journey that he was used to. He felt that at the end of the journey was something even more important to him than the pokemon league.

Right before he had awoken, he was facing a person, though he couldn't tell who, as to Ash, he was just a silhouette. Ash watched in horror as his best friend Pikachu was defeated and the person made his way over to him. The man proceeded to pull out a gun. Ash's eyes went wide. As he heard the sound of the trigger being pulled, he had woken up.

Ash was breathing hard and sweating slightly. To him the dream felt...so real. Like he was truly in real danger. After a while, he got his breathing under control and shrugged the nightmare off. It was just a dream after all.

Ash had left his position on the porch swing and made his way into the house. He noticed that no one else was awake quite yet and when he glanced at the clock, he knew why. Ash was thankful that his internal clock had woken him up so early, as now he could get his training done before everyone was awake. He walked quietly into the living room to wake up Pikachu, who had claimed one of the abandoned couches the previous night since neither Ash nor May had used them.

"Hey buddy, ready to train?" Ash asked quietly as he gently nudged his best friend.

Pikachu wasted no time in waking up. After rubbing his eyes with the backs of his paws in the most adorable way possible, he was wide awake and ready to go.

"Pikachu pika pika Pi" Pikachu responded with determination written on his face. Ash laughed as he proceeded to get ready to train.

Ash grabbed a large bottle of water from the fridge, slipped on his shoes as he had slept in his clothes the night before, and took off towards Professor Oak's lab. The walk went smoothly as he arrived at the front of Oak's lab. He proceeded to knock on the door and waited for an answer.

Luckily for Ash, Professor Oak was quite the morning person and was usually awake early like Ash was. However, on this morning, Ash had to wait quite a long time until a very tired looking Tracey answered the door.

Tracey yawned and rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes before he spoke.

"Here to train Ash?" It was obvious by his scratchy voice that he had just woken up.

"Sure am!" Ash started, beaming with excitement. Tracey just shook his head in disbelief. He had no idea how anyone could wake up this early and be so chipper.

Hey Tracey, why are you answering the door. Isn't professor Oak usually up during this time?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, usually he is, but after yesterday, he decided he needed a good, long rest to regain his strength." Tracey responded, a bit more awake now.

Ash nodded at the response and thanked Tracey as he sped past him into the lab. Tracey wasted no time before going back to his room in the lab and falling back asleep.

As Ash reached the ranch, he looked around to see all of his pokemon. All of them, including Snorlax, were already awake and just starting their training. Ash had developed a specific training program for each pokemon he had. Although some were similar to others, none were the exact same.

Having noticed their trainer, all of the pokemon rushed towards him. They were still excited to see him, but didn't act the same way as the day before.

"Hey everybody! I thought I would come down here and we could do some training together! Sound good?" Ash asked.

He received a multitude of replies from all of his pokemon. Although all he heard were the various names and roars of his pokemon, he knew that they all had said yes. Ash couldn't help but smile at his pokemon's determination to get stronger.

All right everyone! Why don't we start out with a little run around the ranch. I want everyone doing 40 laps, that comes out to about 8 miles. Flying types, I want you to fly the same route, but you are doing 50 laps. Then after that, we will do strength training with and without weights. Then lastly, we will work on your moves. I promise that I will train with everyone today.

Everyone was a bit shocked. Usually when they trained with Ash hell, even when they trained alone, it was much harder than what he currently had planned. Ash noticed the confused faces on his pokemon, so he explained.

"Well, I have a battle with Max today and I want you all to see. I don't want you all to be too tired to watch, so I'm making today a little lighter. I also don't want to be too tired to focus on the battle and since I do everything you do, I had to tone it done a bit." Ash explained.

"But after today, we're going to start training very hard again, so don't get used to this." Ash added. His pokemon seemed to understand and were currently waiting on his lead. Ash removed his hat, jacket and shirt, revealing his muscular body, and began the run.

Each and every pokemon, even the ones that could run much faster than him, all kept pace with their trainer. This training was as much about conditioning as it was about camaraderie. Whenever all of the pokemon got to train with Ash together, they wanted to be by his side during every minute of it.

_4 hours Later_

"Good! Now Talonflame, use Brave Bird on that tree. I want to see that thing cut in half!" Ash exclaimed to his first Kalos pokemon. All of the pokemon, along with Ash, had been going hard for nearly four hours now.

After the run, Ash and each pokemon were equipped with special, wearable weights that Ash had purchased a few years prior. It was a bit expensive, but Ash had been training for eight years now and with only spending money on the necessities, he had more than enough for the weights.

They all then proceeded to begin strength training. Ash, along with the pokemon that could physically do them, did push-ups. Hundreds of push-ups later, they switched to sit-ups. All the while, the pokemon that couldn't do these exercises were doing other things that would improve their strength. Many were lifting tree trunks and others were flying at top speeds with incredible amounts of weight forcing them downward.

After hours of this, they eventually started on move training. This training was for each pokemon to improve the moves they knew and also, to learn new moves. Ash had currently made his way through most of his pokemon, taking his time with each individually before sending them off to work on a certain set of moves that he had chosen for them to work on.

Ash watched as his Talonflame cut a tree directly in half with her powerful Brave Bird attack. He smirked to himself as he looked around at all of his other pokemon. Most were practicing their moves on targets, but a select few were sparring against each other.

He took notice of his Pikachu fighting Charizard. These two were arguably Ash's two strongest pokemon and they were currently giving one another a run for their money. He saw both pokemon panting hard and had to step in and stop them.

"Okay guys, that's enough. I don't need you guys fighting all the way to fainting on me right now." Ash stated as both Pikachu and Charizard nodded to each other in respect. He was rubbing his Charizard on the neck, earning an appreciative flamethrower from the large fire pokemon.

Over time, the flamethrowers started affecting him less and less to the point were they now didn't hurt him at all. He attributed this to Charizard getting stronger and now being able to control the intensity of his attacks. He was smiling at his pokemon when he heard something that made him jump in surprise.

"Hey Ash! We thought that you'd at least come back for breakfast!" Brock yelled to his raven haired friend. He was followed by practically everyone. Paul, Max, misty, Dawn, Serena...everyone except for May.

"Oh hey guys. What are you talking about. I was planning on coming back for breakfast." Ash said, confused.

"Ash, It's nearly 10:30 in the morning. We usually have breakfast at 8." Paul reminded him.

Ash's eyes momentarily opened in shock. He hadn't realized that he had been training for so long. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and chuckled nervously. "Hehe... I guess I lost track of time.

It was then Ash noticed the trio of girls. His female companions definitely weren't the quite type and usually, they would have said something by this point in the conversation. He looked over to where they were standing and noticed that all three of them were starring at him blankly, mouths open slightly.

Ash cocked his head in confusion as he turned his attention back to his guy friends. "What's up with them?" Ash asked, pointing towards the girls with his thumb.

Rather than answering, Brock just screamed in frustration while Max and Paul laughed. Seeing that Ash was still oblivious, Paul decided to help him out.

"Hey Ash... you might want to put a shirt on."

He still looked confused until he glanced down at his still shirtless body. However, he still didn't see how this explained-

"_Ohhhhhh..." _Ash realized why they were all starring at him quickly after that. He wasn't as dense anymore and he knew that working so hard had yielded some...results for him.

He hit the nail right on the head. All three girls, even Misty, who had no feelings for Ash, were lost in admiring his shirtless form. Almost immediately, a blush formed on all three girls' cheeks. They could vaguely hear the conversation going on and knew that they should look away, but the just couldn't. Dawn seemed to be the most entranced.

"_Woah...the years have been kind to him..."_ Dawn thought to herself; Serena having similar thoughts.

Misty was the first of the three to break out of her trance. She knew that her feelings for Ash had sailed years ago. "Working hard are we Ash? She asked teasingly.

Ash blushed as both Serena and Dawn continued to stare. Ash didn't really like all of the attention he was getting so he quickly looked around and saw his black shirt and white and red jacket on the ground. He quickly put his clothing back on and hoped that the girls would break out of their trances.

Luckily for him, it seemed to work.

"Oh...H-Hey Ash!" Dawn said a little too loudly. Serena simply waved and put her head down to hid the massive blush on her face.

"Hey!" Ash said enthusiastically, ready to put this situation behind him.

"So what are you guys doing here? Couldn't wait for me to get back? And...wait minute...where's May?" Ash asked, teasing at first, but turning serious near the end.

"Well, I just really couldn't wait any longer for our battle Ash. I'm so pumped! But as for my sister...she said that she had some things to do but that she would come to the battle later." Max explained.

Ash frowned at the reasoning. He knew that he was most likely the reason why May hadn't wanted to come along with everybody else. This was exactly what he didn't want that kiss to cause; he didn't want everything to be weird between them now.

He sighed and tried to look cheery for his friends. "Okay then Max. As long as May's coming; I don't want her to miss our first battle. I'm ready when you are!"

"Alright! Let's start right now. You're so going down Ash Ketchum!" Max said confidently.

Ash scoffed at the young boy. "We'll see about that Max. Don't think I'm going to hold anything back."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." May said with a beaming smile on his face.

"Okay then Max, I want you to pick the pokemon you're going to face here today. But remember, no matter who you choose, you're going to be in for a fight." Ash told the boy, indicating to all of his pokemon, which were lined up behind him.

Max momentarily looked surprised but quickly changed back to looking determined. "That's easy Ash. If I want to be the best, then I gotta beat the best. That's why I'm choosing Pikachu to battle against."

Now it was Ash's turn to look surprised. Max had just chosen to face off against arguably his strongest pokemon. They had been battling together for eight years, so it only made sense that Pikachu would be extremely strong.

Although he would never say it out loud, Ash thought that Pikachu had benefited the most from the intense training he went through. His speed had increased tenfold along with his strength and power. On a good day, Pikachu can and has knocked out a weaker pokemon in one hit. Ash just hoped that Max was up for the challenge.

Everyone else just watched in surprised. They were just as shocked as Ash that he had chosen to face Pikachu. They had seen what Pikachu could do over the years, some watching it from their TV's, and others seeing his power in person. All in all, they knew Max was in for the fight of his life.

The pokemon, many of whom were disappointed that they weren't battling, had cleared out an area for the two boys to battle in. Ash had taken to one side, his Pikachu in front of him. Max had taken to a spot on the opposite end of Ash.

"Pikachu, you ready buddy!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, determined.

"Alright then Max, who are you going to choose?" Ash asked his opponent.

Max smirked, "Me and this guys have been through a lot together these past four years. Ash, I'd like you to meet my oldest pokemon. Sceptile, come on out!"

Max threw the pokeball, revealing the green, reptilian pokemon. Ash's own Sceptile took notice of the newcomer of its own species. Although he looked quite strong for a pokemon that has been training for just four years, Ash's Sceptile scoffed at the pokemon he found not worthy of himself.

"Woah...Max, you chose Treeko! That's awesome! I can't wait to get this battle started! Brock, can you referee for us?" Ash turned his attention away fro,m the Sceptile to meet the gaze of his long time friend.

"Of course Ash." Brock took his place between Ash and Max, although off to the side as to not get in the way of the two pokemon. "This one-on-one battle is Between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Max Maple of Petalburgh City. Are both trainers and pokemon ready.

"Ready!"

"You bet!"

"Pika Pikachu!"

"Scep scep tile!"

"All right, then begin!" Brock announced.

"Alright Sceptile, we can't waste any time. Get in close with a **quick attack**!" Max ordered. Sceptile immediately took of at breakneck speeds towards the electric mouse pokemon.

Ash didn't let the confident look leave his face. "Pikachu. Use **agility** to dodge and hit him with an** iron tail**."

As Sceptile reached Pikachu, he disappeared at a much greater speed than Sceptile was moving. Sceptile looked around, trying to find the electric rodent.

"Sceptile! Look out!" Max exclaimed. But it was too late. Sceptile turned around just in time to see Pikachu coming down towards him with an iron tail.

The move hit the lizard directly in the skull, causing quite a bit of damage. Sceptile staggered his way back to his trainer in order to regroup.

"Sceptile, you okay?" Max questioned his earliest pokemon. He got a positive response, but he could tell his Sceptile was shocked that such a small pokemon could pack such a punch.

"Sceptile, don't underestimate Pikachu. He has beaten many opponents without even getting hit himself. He has even beaten the legendary Regice and a Latios!" Max reminded his pokemon, listing a few of Pikachu's accomplishments.

Sceptile's eyes went wide at the revelation, but that look was soon replaced with a new found look of determination. He glared at Pikachu, who glared back in return.

Seeing that his pokemon now knew what he was up against, Max went back on the offensive.

"Sceptile, rush in with **quick attack** and then hit 'em with a **leaf blade**!"

"Pikachu, be ready. Keep focused on Sceptile's movements." Ash said softly to his starter.

Pikachu did just what was reminded of him. He focused his eyes solely on Sceptile. Even during his quick attack, when most couldn't see anything but a blur, Pikachu was still able to spot the reptilian pokemon.

Sceptile was gradually getting closer as Pikachu saw the glowing green that indicated leaf blade. Ash, who had also been following Sceptile, was waiting for the perfect moment.

As Sceptile was only but a few feet away from Pikachu, Ash decided it was time. "Pikachu! Now!"

Pikachu heard his trainer and jumped into the air, making Sceptile miss his attack. He then let loose a powerful **thunderbolt** as Sceptile and Max could only watch in horror.

Sceptile took the attack head on and definitely felt it. However, his grass typing helped him take the attack better than normal as he quickly returned back to Max.

Max looked flabbergasted. Ash hadn't even said a move!

"Ash, how did Pikachu know what to do without you telling it anything?' Max inquired.

Ash smirked. "Well, the whole '**quick attack** into another attack' thing is pretty common. Because of how often it happens, me and Pikachu decided it would be best if he had a simple way to cover it. It almost always works the first time, but as battles go on longer, I tend to not be able to use the same strategy again."

Max, along with most everyone else, save for Brock and Serena, who had seen Ash grow, knew that Ash had improved immensely. This Ash was certainly not the rash battler he used to be.

"Fine! Sceptile, use your strongest **Leaf Storm**! Go!" Max commanded, pointing his arm toward Pikachhu.

Sceptile summoned up a lot of strength and dispersed what looked like a large tornado of leaves toward Pikachu.

Max smirked. There was no way that Pikachu would be able to dodge this attack. If nothing else, he was going to at least get a heavy hit on Pikachu.

He was surprised once again, however, as Ash's confident smirk never left his face.

Ash, not feeling concerned in the least, said two simple words to his pokemon, "**Counter Shield**."

Pikachu summoned a large amount of electricity and formed it into a type of shield that protected his whole body from the oncoming attack. As the leaf storm finally reached its target, many of the leaves were burnt up by the hot electricity coming from Pikachu.

As the attack ended, Max was left with a slightly panting Sceptile while Ash still had a completely healthy looking Pikachu.

It was then when the girl in the white and red bandana had shown up to the ranch. May had opted to stay back at the house while everyone else had gone to find Ash for obvious reasons. She really didn't want to see him right now, but she was torn because she knew her brother and Ash were going to be battling.

Ultimately, her desire to see the battle won out and she came to the ranch.

Dawn noticed May as she walked up next to her.

"May. I'm glad you finally decided to come! You missed the start of the battle. Ash is absolutely destroying Max. he hasn't even landed a hit on Pikachu! Can you believe that?" Dawn said to her friend.

May didn't know what to think at the revelation. She knew this was probably how the battle was going to go down, but it still pained her a bit to see her brother losing so badly. Although, he was losing to the person she loved so it wasn't all bad.

She decided that rather than being conflicted on who she wanted to win, she would just watch the battle impartially.

"Grrr...Sceptile, we need to try something else!" Max was getting frustrated, even after only a few countered moves. Ash knew he could use this to his advantage, but he decided against it. Max was one of his friends after all and this was a great teaching moment.

"Max, you need to keep your cool. You don't think when you're angry and that is a recipe for disaster in a battle." Ash reminded the young trainer. Max looked up and met Ash's gaze.

Seeing how cool and calm Ash was motivated him to calm down. He took a few deep breaths and was soon completely calm and ready to go.

"Thanks Ash." Max said softly to his friend. If it wasn't for him, he would have lost in no time at all.

Ash only smiled in response as he commanded his pokemon.

"Pikachu, use **charge beam**!"

With his new found confidence, Max expertly commanded his Sceptile. He was finally starting to think before acting. He knew if charge beam hit, then chances were that Pikachu's attacks would be even more powerful than before. He couldn't afford to let that happen

"Sceptile! Dodge right and use** rock slide**!" Max was very confident that this would work. He had spent countless hours with Sceptile perfecting his rock slide attack. It was pretty safe to say that Sceptile's rock slide was one of the fastest out there.

Sceptile barely managed to dodge the charge beam attack as rocks shot from around him at Pikachu traveling at very high speeds.

"Pikachu quick, **counter shield**!" Ash commanded; a bit of urgency in his voice.

Pikachu managed to summon some electricity to surround him, but not enough to completely stop all of the rocks.

Pikachu recoiled in pain as the rocks hit him. Not all hit their mark, as about a fourth of them were vaporized by the bit of electricity he summoned before the attack could hit.

Ash watched on, the somewhat confident smirk never leaving his face. He was impressed by the speed of Sceptile's attack, but he knew that Pikachu could take it. Even though ordinary Pikachu's are known to be quite frail, Ash's Pikachu was anything but ordinary.

Everyone watching was also a bit taken back by Max's small success. Ash was definitely a very powerful trainer and most everyone, even May, were fairly confident that Max wouldn't even land a hit on Pikachu.

May was thankful however, that Max had been able to do something against Ash. Like everyone else, she had watched Ash in the Indigo League that year, and suffice it to say, Ash was definitely not one to mess with in regard to battling.

Max was ecstatic that he had finally landed a hit on the elusive pokemon. This was his opening and he knew it; he had to capitalize on this opportunity.

"Alright Sceptile! Now's our shot! Use **earthquake**!" Max shouted confidently to his first pokemon.

"Pikachu... balance on your tail." Ash said plainly.

Everyone looked confused but figured the answer would become clear soon enough.

Sceptile stomp the ground with all his might, causing it to shake ferociously. The dusty ground they were settled on had stirred up, causing visibility to drop drastically.

Although Max couldn't see Pikachu at the moment, he was sure that he had dealt some real damage to Pikachu as well as Ash chances of winning.

May watched in a mixture of pride and horror. She felt proud of her brother for seemingly doing a lot of damage to Pikachu. And horror because the person that Pikachu belonged to was the person she loved.

Ash on the other hand, stood confidently. The smirk on his face grew bigger as he saw the excited face of May and the nervous expressions of his friends.

"_How naïve..." _Ash humored himself with his thoughts.

"Now Pikachu! Full power **thunder bolt**!" Ash commanded.

On cue, Pikachu leaped from the airborne dust that surrounded him and prepared his attack.

"Piii-Kaaa-CHUUU!" The yellow rodent exclaimed as an extremely impressive amount of energy dispersed from his body.

Max was too gobsmacked to command Sceptile, causing the very power electric attack to hit directly. Even though grass types resist electric type moves, Pikachu's thunderbolt was powerful enough to disregard that rule as Sceptile screamed in pain.

Pikachu kept up his attack for a few seconds longer before stopping it, looking toward Sceptile expectantly. As both Ash and Pikachu thought, the attack had been too much for the now charred reptile as he fainted immediately after the attack ended.

"Sceptile is unable to battle. Meaning the winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Brock exclaimed.

Max dropped the surprised look on his face as he ran to check on his first pokemon and good friend. He was worried for Sceptile; that thunderbolt was by far the most powerful that he had ever seen.

"Sceptile! Are you okay?" Max exclaimed.

Sceptile barely managed to open his eyes and give his trainer a weak smile before fainting once again. Max sighed in relief; even with how powerful that last attack was, his Sceptile was sure to be fine after a good rest and maybe a few potions...

Max didn't notice Ash approach as he was still starring at his unconscious pokemon.

"Hehe...Sorry about that Max. I probably should have had Pikachu hold back a little bit on that last one." Ash said nervously.

Max looked up at his mentor to see a sheepish smile gracing his features. Now that he knew Sceptile would be okay, he returned to being confused.

Ash was uncomfortable as he noticed Max just staring at him with an odd look on his face.

"You did really well Max! You even managed to land a hit on Pikachu, one of my fastest pokemon. A lot of trainers I have faced in the past few years can't say that." Ash said, hoping to break the young boy out of his gaze.

This did not work however, as Max continued to stare. The two were locked in a starring match for almost half a minute until Max finally spoke.

"How?"

Ash looked a bit confused but then realized that he was most likely wondering what had happened during that earthquake. He looked up at his friends and saw that all but Serena, Brock and Paul also had confused looks on their faces.

Ash sighed contently before beginning. "I bet you're wondering how Pikachu made it out of that earthquake unscathed." He got collective yeses from all around. "Well...it's simple really. Earthquake does what it sound like it does, it shakes the ground. So all Pikachu had to do was minimize the parts of him that were on the ground. And Pikachu's tail is a good candidate for the part keeping him on the ground. So normally, when earthquake would have done a lot of damage being that it is super effective to Pikachu, it hardly did any. Make sense?"

Ash looked too Dawn, May and Misty, who seemed to be pondering what Ash had said. He then looked back at Max, who was still looking at him, surprised.

After a few moments, a grin grew on Max's face.

"Wow! That's so cool! Why didn't I think of this?" Max shouted.

Ash laughed at his young friend as he turned toward his approaching friends. Well, all except for May, who had seemingly opted to stay where she was, a good distance away from Ash.

"Wow Ash. How did you come up with something like that?" Misty asked.

"You know, I'm not really sure. It just kind of came to me during a battle a couple years back." Ash responded.

"Okay...then why haven't any of us ever seen you use this strategy before? I mean, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has watched all of your televised battles since we've been apart." Dawn added.

"I do have other strategies for beating earthquake you know. I have to for Pikachu's sake. In fact, I'm certain you've seen some of them as I used at least one during the Indigo League this year." Ash answered.

Both Misty and Dawn tried to think back to when this had happened, but they couldn't think of exactly when or what Ash did.

"I can attest to it." Brock mentioned.

"Me too. We were both there." Serena added.

"Well...okay then. I'll take your word for it." Dawn said.

Everyone shared a smile before Max got Ash's attention again.

"Hey Ash, thanks for the great battle. I had a ton of fun even though I lost. It's incredible how strong you are." Max gushed to his idol and role model.

Ash laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks Max. I just hope I'm good enough to do well when I take on the elite four challenge sometime this year."

"Oh yeah! I forgot that you get to face the elite four since you won the league!" Serena said, excitement evident in her voice.

"Hey, when Ash does get to challenge them, how about instead of us all watching at home, we go and support him in person!" Dawn tossed out the idea, to which she received a surplus of "yes's' and "Yeah's!"

"Thanks guys, that would really mean a lot to me if you were there for it." Ash said gratefully. He was truly grateful that he had friends so close to him.

His smile faded however, as his eyes drifted to May, who was still quite far away from the group looking down, and holding one arm with the other.

Serena was the first to follow Ash's gaze. This was followed by all of the others doing so as well.

When Misty spotted May, she frowned. "I really don't know what's up with her today. She seems so down and reserved. She said she didn't want to come because she was tired and had stuff to do...but I don't think that's the real reason."

"Yeah, I haven't known her for too long, but I can tell that this definitely isn't like her. Something's got to be wrong." Paul added. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement to his statement.

Ash looked down in guilt. He knew that it was his fault that she was feeling this way. Even though he enjoyed it, at this moment, he cursed that kiss from ever happening. It was doing to them exactly what he didn't want...it was keeping them apart and that certainly wouldn't do.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with her Ash?" Brock questioned, shocking Ash a little bit. He was so lost in his own self pity that he didn't notice the conversation going on around him. And now, he was probably going to be forced to lie.

Ash shook the idea of lying out of his head; that just wasn't who he was. Instead of responding, he made his way over to May.

He stood in front of her, but she still didn't look up from the ground.

"May..." Ash said softly. He knew he had to be sensitive with this topic.

May glanced up for a moment, but found it impossible to meet Ash's gaze. She quickly returned to her new favorite spot on the ground.

Ash sighed to himself. He knew her well and it was obvious that he wasn't going to get her to talk at this moment. He pondered for a few seconds on what he could do before an idea came to him.

"May." He said a little more forceful this time. This time she forced herself to look at him.

Now that they were face to face, Ash felt that what he was about to do had a chance to work.

"I challenge you to a battle. Right now." Ash said seriously, his eyes finally finding hers.

May, along with everybody else, looked completely shocked at what Ash had just requested.

"Ash, I don' thin-" Misty started, but was stopped when Ash raised a hand, his eyes never leaving May's.

"Are we going to do this or what?" Ash asked. All he got in response was a hesitant nod. May was definitely confused as to what Ash was doing, but she was willing to go along with it. In all honesty, she was just thankful he hadn't told anybody about the kiss.

Ash internally sighed. At least his plan hadn't completely flopped before it even began.

"_Okay, now if I can just get through to her during this battle..." _Ash thought to himself as he took his place at his side of the field once again.

Ash watched May make her way to her side of the field from where he stood. He could tell she was unconfident, but he knew that would change when the battle began. One of the things he loved about her was how intense she got during a battle, and he hoped to bring that out of her.

Not even needing to be asked, Brock took his place between the two friends.

"This will be a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and May Maple of Petalburgh City. Please release your pokemon.

"Wow, this should be a good battle. A Grand Festival winner verses a league winner." Misty whispered to Dawn and Serena.

"I don't know Misty. It seems like Ash has gotten really strong over these past few years and I think the strength difference between a coordinator and a trainer is greater than you think." Dawn said as Serena nodded in agreement.

As much as she hated to admit it, Dawn knew that coordinators were no match for a trainer when it came to strength, leaving them at a great disadvantage in a regular battle. A coordinators ability to come up with combinations on the fly was really their only hope in a straight up battle.

"_Well, may does kind of battle like a trainer. She has that going for her along with her combinations." _Dawn thought to herself, trying to have some hope for her brunette friend. This thought was thwarted however, as she remembered that Ash's combinations and strategies rivaled even those of a long time coordinator, again, leaving May at a disadvantage. She just hoped that May would do as well as she could, that was really all she could hope for.

May knew that Ash was strong and she was going to have to pull out the big guns to even stand a chance in this battle. No matter how hesitant and uncomfortable she was around Ash at the moment, she would still give her all in a battle.

"Blaziken, take the stage!" May tried to sound peppy, but failed slightly as her voice faltered in the middle of her statement.

Appearing from her pokeball was Blaziken and shouted her name in a battle cry. She gazed across the field, expecting to find an opponent. That was when her eyes happened upon Ash. A smile immediately broke out on her face as she ran to the ebony haired trainer and enveloped him in a hug.

Ash laughed and hugged the bipedal pokemon in return.

"It's good to see you too Blaziken, but we're about to battle, so do you think you could let go?" Ash asked nicely, to which Blaziken happily complied.

Blaziken returned to her side of the field as Ash scouted his pokemon for the one he would use in this battle.

Both his Sceptile and his Lucario jumped to the front of all of the pokemon, eager to be involved in this battle. Ash looked over his two pokemon, trying to decide on one. He knew that Sceptile and Blaziken had a history and wanted another chance at a battle with Blaziken, but he had also used Sceptile more recently than Lucario, if only by one match.

He nodded to his Lucario as she took her position in front of her trainer. Sceptile was visibly upset at not getting the battle he felt he deserved and Ash noticed this.

"Sceptile, I promise that you'll get your shot, don't worry." Ash attempted to calm the pokemon. Sceptile was still a bit peeved but he accepted that the rematch would have to wait.

"Alright, Lucario Vs. Blaziken. Begin!" Brock exclaimed, starting the match.

"Lucario, start things off with a **bone rush**!" Ash shouted to his pokemon.

A blue club of aura formed between Lucario's hands as she took off towards Blaziken.

"Blaziken, counter with-" May's command was halted as Blaziken was sent flying after being hit by the super effective bone rush attack.

May was stunned to say the least. Lucario's speed probably surpassed that of even Pikachu, and that is saying a great deal. May knew she had to be very careful from now on.

What she didn't know is that Ash had trained Lucario to use extreme speed along with bone rush every time she used that attack. It was a great way to get an opponent to think that Lucario was faster than she really is.

"Blaziken, we need to go on the offensive!" May yelled, her confidence now fully returned. "Get in there with a **fire punch**!"

Ash knew the consequences of him using Lucario in this battle. His half steel typing made him weak to both fire and fighting type, where as Sceptile was only weak to fire. But Ash understood the risk and felt that Lucario could do what had to be done.

"Lucario, extreme speed to dodge it!" Ash exclaimed. Lucario took off, attempting to get away from the bipedal pokemon. She was slowed however as the surprisingly fast Blaziken managed to hit her slightly with the super effective attack. Now it was Ash's turn to be surprised.

"Wow May. Blaziken sure is fast." Ash complimented his friend, trying to ease the tension.

"Well, she did have me as a trainer." May responded in a very cocky tone. Ash smiled as he felt that the tension seemed to be lifting a bit.

"Alright Blaziken, **Sky Uppercut**!" May commanded. The two pokemon were in somewhat close proximity from the precious attack, leaving Lucario more vulnerable.

Ash knew that if this hit, it would do quite a bit of damage due to Lucario's steel typing. Luckily, he had just the move to counter.

"Lucario! **Detect**!" Ash shouted.

Lucario closed her eyes and allowed her aura to detect where the sky uppercut would hit, allowing her to dodge easily. She then returned to her trainer quickly to regroup.

"You alright Lucario." Ash asked, making sure the earlier Fire Punch didn't do too much damage. Lucario turned to face her trainer and nodded.

Ash noticed something about his Lucario as she nodded. Her normally red eyes were emanating blue. He flashed back to when he was just waking up after being shot. He recalled seeing himself in the mirror; his eyes were that same blue. It hit him like a ton of bricks.

The reason Heal Pulse had worked on him and not the many others that have tried before him. It was his unique Aura! It made perfect sense. He made sure that he would remember this information for later but now, he had a battle to return to.

He returned from his day dream just in time for him to see his Lucario be hit with a **Brick Break** from Blaziken. She winced in pain as the attack made direct contact, but took it relatively well considering she was weak to the attack. She thanked Arceus that Ash had made her and all of his other pokemon do 'weakness resistance training'. If it hadn't been for that, Brick Break would have done critical damage.

"You just going to let me win Ash or what?" May asked teasingly.

Ash smirked, feeling ecstatic that May wasn't acting strange anymore. He just hoped it would last after the battle was over.

"Dream on Princess." Ash responded.

"Blaziken, Night Slash!" May screamed. Blaziken took off toward the blue jackal pokemon.

Ash's smirk widened. "Take it."

May looked utterly confused. "Hey! I thought you said you weren't going to let me win."

Ash had to suppress a laugh. "Trust me... I'm not."

May shrugged and watched as her pokemon was about to do some damage. She had gotten a little overconfident after the last big hit and decided to mess with Lucario by hitting it with a not very effective move.

May smiled as the damage from night slash was done. Lucario recoiled slightly as the damage she was taking was starting to add up. However, she suddenly felt stronger than ever as blue aura visibly radiated from her.

May looked shocked and a slightly intimidated. "What's going on?"

This time, Ash couldn't hold back his laughter. "Oh May, didn't I tell you? Lucario's ability is Justified. This means that whenever she is hit by a dark type move, her attack increases."

May mentally smacked herself. Why did she have to get so overconfident and do something so stupid?

May put on a guise of confidence as she spoke. "That won't matter because I'm about to take Lucario out! Blaziken, **close combat**!"

Blaziken rushed towards Lucario with blood lust in her eyes. It was easy to tell that she wanted this victory...badly.

Ash watched as the bipedal pokemon got closer. At what he considered the right moment, he issued a command.

"Lucario, dodge and use **drain punch**!"

Lucario's aura enhanced reflexes allowed her to dodge the close combat fairly easily and deliver a drain punch directly into Blaziken's abdomen. Blaziken noticeably recoiled as Lucario looked refreshed and rejuvenated; nearly all of the damage she had previously received was now gone.

Ash knew by now that this battle was his for the taking.

"Lucario, finish things off. She her your own** close combat**." Ash said confidently.

Lucario began a barrage of kicks and punches on all parts of Blaziken's body. The fact that Blaziken had recoiled after the Drain Punch was what allowed Lucario's Close Combat to hit.

By the end of the assault, Lucario looked pretty much okay with just a few scratched and a small burn where as Blaziken was teetering. She gave a nod of respect to Lucario before falling over, defeated.

"Blaziken is unable to battle. That means the winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Brock said professionally. He took his role as referee very seriously.

"Great job Lucario! You were awesome out there!" Ash yelled as he ran to his pokemon and enveloped her in a hug. A certain green pokemon didn't like this however,, as she ran towards the boy and tackled him out of the hug.

"Bayleef Bay!" Bayleef cried.

Ash sighed with a smile on his face as Bayleef nuzzled him with her head.

"Okay Bayleef... I know... I love you too." Ash said calmly to the pokemon.

She looked up at Ash and smiled before running back to join the rest of the pokemon crowd.

While all of this was happening, May had returned Blaziken to her pokeball and had made her way over to Ash, who was just now standing up after being tackled.

He told Lucario to run off and join the other pokemon before he noticed May.

"Need a hand?" May asked with a bright smile.

Ash smiled back and took her hand to stand up. Once he was up, he spoke.

"Great battle May. You had me there for a while." Ash complimented the brunette beauty.

May scoffed. "Oh please Ash. If you hadn't got distracted, you would have won way earlier." Although May thought herself to be strong, especially for a coordinator, but she still knew she was no match for Ash.

Ash frowned at May's words. "May, you should doubt yourself like that. You are one of the best trainers I have ever met. You and your pokemon share a bond that can't be rivaled and that's a trait only the best trainers have." Ash finished with his signature smile.

May couldn't help but blush as his praise. "Well...I did have an incredible teacher."

May was blushing furiously, but she found that she didn't care at the moment as she starred into Ash's chocolate brown eyes.

Everyone watched on as the two shared a moment, Serena and Dawn both with a bit of envy.

May soon broke her gaze as she remembered the night before and the kiss. Immediately, embarrassment overtook her once again.

Ash noticed her happy face start to dwindle and grew worried that she was retreating back into her shell, once again embarrassed. Ash was usually good with words but at the moment, he could find nothing to say.

"I, uh, I gotta go." May said quietly as she took off running into the lab. Everyone seemed to be too shocked to move. Everything seemed to be back to normal, but just like that, it was gone once again.

Most everyone now pieced together that they reason for May's odd behavior had to do with Ash. Everyone was curious, but decided not to press it at the moment as they saw the defeated look on his face.

Ash sighed loudly in defeat. He really had thought that his plan had worked and it had up until just a few moments ago. He realized now that if he wanted to return things to normal, he would need some help. He pushed that thought aside for the time being however, as he turned his attention to his group of friends.

"Well...how about some lunch?" Ash asked happily, trying to break the somber mood that had built up around everyone.

Everybody was a bit hesitant as they all wanted some answers, but again decided not to press it. There would be a time for that later.

Ash began walking through the lab and towards his house as everyone followed in silence.

_Viridian City_

At the same time as the gang had began making their way toward the Ketchum residence, both James and Meowth were walking around Viridian City.

Meowth never wore clothes, so nothing about his appearance had changed since he left Team Rocket, but James looked quite different.

Now lacking his signature Team Rocket uniform, he had to get a whole new wardrobe. Both himself and Meowth had spent a few hours trying to find James a new outfit. His new look consisted of a plain white T-shirt under a black jacket with long white sleeves. Along with that was a pair of dark jeans and sneakers. All in all he looked...youthful.

James audibly sighed as himself and Meowth passed the Pokemon Center for the third time now. They had been mindlessly walking around the city for hours, trying to find something to occupy their time.

"Meowth?" James looked down at his long time friend. "What do we do now?"

Meowth looked sad, almost defeated at the mention of what was to come because he just didn't know.

"James my friend, I don't have an answer to that. All I know is that I'm glad to be out of Team Rocket and away from Jessie." Meowth said as James nodded in agreement.

"Yeah...I always knew she was off the wall, but I didn't think it would come to this..." James said sadly. Even though he spent countless years of his life trying to steal his Pikachu, he still hoped that Ash was alright.

In fact, both James and Meowth had tried to leave Ash alone years ago, but Jessie would have nothing of it. She refused to give up until she got what she wanted. In all honesty, this should have been an indicator that she would do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

"I really hope the twe- I mean Ash is okay. I still can't believe what happened." Meowth stated sadly.

"Me too Meowth. But even if he did survive, there Giovanni is going to be going after him again, I just know it." Jame spoke through gritted teeth, angry at the mention of his previous boss.

Meowth didn't respond as the two continued walking in silence for a few minutes. After a while, a idea popped into Meowth's head. He smiled and grabbed James' attention.

"James, I think I know what we do from here."

Jame lit up at Meowth's words. "Really? What is it Meowth."

"You might want to wipe that smile off of your face James, because you probably won't like what I'm going to say." James paled a bit as Meowth continued. "If the twer- Ash managed to survived Jessie's attack, then Giovanni will no doubt attempt something else to get him killed."

The scratch cat pokemon sighed before continuing, "My plan is to help Ash. I really want to make up for some of the things I have done over the years. I also want to make it up to Ash. He has saved our lives and has never turned us into the police no matter how much we pestered him. Now that he may be dead I... I feel terrible. I know I probably sound stupid-"

Meowth was cut off by James, "Meowth, that's not stupid at all. I never liked being the bad guy I...I just had no where else to go and when I found you guys...it felt like a had a family that actually cared about me."

"I feel the same way buddy." Meowth said, his voice cracking a bit as a tear made its way to his eye.

James nodded with a sad smile on his face. " And now that Team Rocket has turned even worse than before, I feel like we're obligated to do something. I think it's time we do some good for a change. What do you say Meowth...you in?"

"You bet your sorry ass I'm in brother." Meowth said happily as a tear cascaded down his cheek. He and James had created such a close bond over the years and they didn't even realize it until they were out of Team Rocket. There bond did show signs when the were still in the organization however. It always seemed like it was Meowth and James verses Jessie.

The timing didn't matter now, the two had each other and knew that they had somebody that they could always count on, no matter what.

"We should head to Pallet then. Arceus I hope that he's still alive." Meowth said.

"Yeah...we better hurry. I feel like something big is about to happen." James mentioned as the two started their trek to The City of Pallet.

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed chapter 5. This chapter was originally going to be almost 25,000 words long, but I decided to split it into two chapters here. Also, I need your opinion on something. Would you rather have me write shorter chapters, around 4,000 to 5,000 words, or continue with the long ones. If I wrote shorter chapters, I would most likely be able to get out more than one a week. It's really up to you guys so tell me in a review. I also hope that the battles were okay. It was my first attempt at writing battles so cut me some slack. Oh, and don't forget to vote in the poll on my page. Thanks and See Ya...in a few hours.**


	6. Revelations and More Revelations

**A/N: First off, I want to make sure that everyone knows that Ash will not unlock his full Aura in this story. I was originally planning on having no Aura use in this story, but thanks to a PM from 'Uranium235' Ash will use his Aura a few times in this story. It won't be very powerful, but it will come out in a time of great distress...that's all I'll say about it for now. Enjoy Chapter 6!**

A Trial of Will

_Ketchum Residence, 3:30 Pm_

The gang, excluding May who had politely asked not to be bothered while in Ash's room, all had a delicious lunch thanks to Brock, Delia and Mr. Mime. While the food was great, the atmosphere was not. Conversations were being attempted, but it just didn't feel right while May was acting so strange.

After the tense lunch was completed. Brock had opted to help Delia and Mr. Mime clean around the house, much to the mime pokemon's displeasure. Paul and Max had decided to go and train their pokemon up at the ranch and Serena and Dawn were going to try and talk to May.

That left Ash and Misty. Immediately after lunch, Ash had walked into the back yard and had taken a seat in the middle of the grass as he looked towards the bright blue sky. He had opted to leave Pikachu to hang out with May's Glaceon in the family room. No matter how she was feeling, May knew that Glaceon wanted to see Pikachu, so she let her out of her ball in order to be with him.

Ash was going to sit in his usual seat of the porch swing, but he just couldn't bring himself to at the moment. It was there that all of this tension had begun. Ash sighed as he hoped that him and May could be friends again. A friendship like theirs was too good to say goodbye to.

Misty had watched Ash through the kitchen window as he sat down and watched the clouds roll by. Having had enough of not knowing what was going on between Ash and May, Misty walked outside and had taken a seat next to Ash.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Misty sit down right next to him. It wasn't until she cleared her throat that he took notice.

"Oh...Hey Mist." Ash said absentmindedly.

Misty, not ever being one to beat around the bush, got right got the point.

"Ash. What's going on? What happened?" Misty asked softly.

Ash feigned surprise. "What do you mean Mis-" He was cut off by the red head.

"Cut the crap Ketchum, I've known you for a long time and I know that May is acting strangely because of you. So tell me...what happened." Misty spoke sternly.

Ash sighed as he looked up at the sky. He thought about it and thought back to earlier when he realized that he needed help with this. He wanted his and May's friendship to survive this and he decided that it was worth the risk of telling Misty.

"Okay..." Ash said, almost inaudibly. "Last night I couldn't sleep, so I came out here to look at the stars like I always do when I have trouble sleeping. I was sitting on that porch swing over there just watching the stars when May came outside."

He stopped to make sure that Misty was following. Seeing that she was, he continued. "Well, we started talking. She felt really badly about what happened. How I got hurt. She felt like it was her fault."

"Ash. You were just being you. You always put others before yourself and that's one of the things that everyone loves about you." Misty said sweetly to her best friend.

"Thanks Mist. And I know, that's what I told her. I told her that it wasn't her fault and how if I could do it again, that I would do the same thing. She was crying at that point so I hugged her to try and comfort her. Then she started...thanking me. But not just for saving her life, but for everything I had done for her. I tried to tell her that she didn't have to thank me, but that's when she..." Ash found it hard to speak as he neared the end.

"That's when she what Ash?" Misty questioned. She was so close to getting an answer.

"She, uh, she...kissed me." Ash said quietly. "And...I think I liked it."

Misty's mouth dropped to the floor when Ash had said this. May had kissed Ash? But why did she do it? Was it because he saved her life? Or was there more behind it? All of these questions were circling in Misty's mind as the two sat in silence.

For Ash, the silence was uncomfortable due to the fact that he wanted to know how Misty would react as even he didn't know what to make of the kiss.

Misty on the other hand, was trying to piece things together. Ash was the most amazing guy that many people would ever meet. Misty admitted that she had a crush on Ash back when they traveled together all the way up to the battle frontier, but that had faded over time; she now thought of him as more of a brother.

After piecing everything she could think of together, she thought she had an answer. After thinking back on a few hints and clues, she determined that May did not just kiss Ash due to hero worship, she definitely had feeling for him, which she could understand. She was definitely going to talk to May and the other girls about this.

After minutes of screaming silence, Misty spoke, "Ash?"

Ash looked at Misty, almost shaking with anticipation. He really needed a way to fix this.

"I think May might be falling for you." Misty said, shocking Ash.

"What!? No way! She's one of my best friends, how could she-"

Ash was cut off by Misty speaking, "Ash that's exactly it! You're an incredibly likable person! Think about it, you've made friends with nearly everyone you have ever met, even Paul! And you treat your friends like they are the most precious things to you and it's amazing. It's just so easy to fall for you Ash Ketchum!" Misty exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ash was shocked by Misty's words. All he could do at the moment was sit and stare at Misty in silence.

"I'm going to tell you this because you are my best friend Ash. I used to have a massive crush on you when we traveled together...Hell it lasted all the way up through when you took on the battle frontier." Misty said quietly, shocking Ash even more.

Ash somehow managed to find his tongue, albeit barely. "M-Misty ar-are you s-saying that-"

"No. I don't still have feelings for you Ash." Misty stated as she knew where he was going. "I only told you this to prove my point. You are the most amazing person that I and everyone of your friends have ever met, I'm sure of it. And it doesn't hurt that you're handsome too. You're just...so easy to love."

Ash could find no words. He just stared at Misty with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape.

Misty sighed as she saw how surprised Ash looked. "And the worst part is...you don't even know that you're making people feel this way. You do so many romantic and amazing things for everyone, but you don't realize the effect those actions have on people's hearts." Misty was letting out a lot of her pent up feelings and emotions. Misty sighed again before continuing. "But I know that you do all of those things because that's just the kind of person you are. It just sucks sometimes because you don't understand girls' feelings very well. That's the reason that I got over you. Because no matter what hints I threw your way, you were too dense to notice them. It was like trying to get a brick wall to notice my love, so after a while, I just gave up. It was the only thing left for me to do" Misty finished with a sad smile. It felt good to finally tell Ash what every girl that has ever liked him was thinking. She hoped this conversation would help her best friend mature a bit in terms of relationships.

Ash's facial expression changed from one of shock to that of a person in deep thought. He attempted to think back to any hints that either May or Misty had thrown his way, but he was drawing a blank. He decided that for the time being, he should focus on fixing things with May...and apologize to Misty for something he didn't even know he did...

"Misty I...I am so sorry that I put you through all of that. You're definitely right about me not understanding girls' feelings, because I had no idea. Everything that you just told me is a complete shock and I really don't know what to think right now." Ash finished as he grabbed his hair and let out a frustrated growl.

Seeing this, Misty put a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder as she spoke, "Ash...it's not your fault. You had no idea what I was feeling and besides, those feelings are long gone now. You're like a brother to me and I'm here to help you figure out how to fix your friendship with May."

Ash let the frustration fall from his face as he let a smile grace his features. "Thanks Misty...that means a lot to me. I just really hope that me and May's friendship can recover from this."

Misty sighed again, she noticed that she had been doing that a lot lately. "Ash, I'm going to be honest... I don't know how things are going to turn out between you and May after this. It really all comes down to her." She noticed the look of horror that overtook Ash's face. "But, I think that your friendship is too precious to May for her to just throw away due to her feelings. And besides, I might even be wrong about what she is feeling, although I doubt it."

"So...what do I do." Ash sounded almost completely defeated. No matter what Misty said to try and reassure him that everything would be okay, he couldn't help but look at the worst case scenario.

"Ash, I'm going to talk to May as soon as I can but right now, I need to know something." Misty stated seriously. Seeing she had Ash's undivided attention, she continued. "Ash, how do you feel about May?"

Ash was taken aback by the question. How did he feel about May. How did he feel about anything right now? Everything was just so jumbled up in his head at the moment. Luckily for him, as he was about to respond with some half-answer, the back door opened revealing both Dawn and Serena.

Knowing that they couldn't very well continued the conversation at the moment, Misty shot Ash a glance that screamed 'we'll finish this later.'

"So...any luck guys?" Ash asked, praying that they had gotten through to May.

Both Dawn and Serena sighed in defeat.

"No good Ash. She refuses to talk to anyone right now. I just wish I knew what was wrong. I hate seeing her like this." Dawn said sadly as Serena nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and this can't be easy for you either Ash. It seems like she is completely avoiding you right now. Do you have any idea what is wrong with her?" Serena asked innocently.

She was only trying to get some answers as to why her new friend was acting so strange, especially around Ash.

He hated doing it, but Ash was forced to lie. He couldn't bring himself to verbally deceive one of his closest friends, so he simply shook his head, indicating that he didn't know the reason.

"Well okay... Whatever, Delia said she needed some help with something, so I volunteered us Misty." Serena's mood completely changed to one of happiness as she said this.

Misty cocked her head in confusion. Why would Serena volunteer her and not Dawn. They were closer than Dawn and herself after all.

Noticing the confused look, Serena spoke. "Misty, we haven't had as much time as the others to get to know each other. I thought this would be a good time for that. Plus, I want to hear some stories from the early days of Ash's travels."

Misty smiled at the explanation. "Okay Serena, let's go." With that, the two girls left through the door to help Delia, leaving just Ash and Dawn.

"So I guess that just leaves us, huh?" Dawn asked with a smirk.

Ash shrugged and smiled, "Yeah, I guess it does. Got anything you want to do?"

"Nothing in particular. I'm just glad we get to spend sometime with one another. We haven't had time alone together for years." Dawn stated.

"Well, how about I show you around Pallet Town? It's not much but I think a walk would be nice. You up for it?" Ash questioned the bluenette.

Dawn could barely hold in her squeal of excitement that she was finally getting to spend some alone time with Ash. She collected herself after the internal squeal and nodded happily.

Seeing this, Ash led the way around the house and down the street to their first destination. Somewhere in front of the house, Ash had offered his arm to Dawn, to which she happily accepted.

The two walked in a comfortable silence for while before Misty's words replayed in his mind.

"..._You do such romantic and amazing things for everyone, but you don't realize the effect those actions have on people's hearts."_

He looked down at Dawn, who was grasping his right arm. He mentally scolded himself for being so stupid after he literally just had a conversation with Misty about this.

He knew Dawn probably wouldn't like it, but Ash pried his arm out of the bluenette's grip. He prevented himself from looking at Dawn's face, he didn't want to see how she would react to his action.

Ash would have been glad that he didn't look because Dawn's expression would have broken his heart. She looked absolutely dejected as she questioned why he had made her let go. She felt so right when she was holding Ash and she didn't want it to stop. But instead of sulking, she decided to take action.

As the two continued walking, Dawn slipped her hand into Ash's. He tried to pull away, but Dawn wouldn't let him. Eventually, Ash mentally sighed to himself and allowed them to continue holding hands.

Even though he knew he shouldn't be risking doing this, especially after what happened with May, but the simple action made Dawn so happy, and Ash loved to see Dawn happy. It was like her joy was infectious.

He also took in how soft and warm her hand felt. It felt amazing to him. Throwing caution to the wind, he allowed the hand holding to continue.

As they walked, the two broke into conversation. They talked more about past adventures and what they would be doing in the future.

"So Ash, what are you planning to do after the elite four challenge?" Dawn questioned.

Ash smiled happily. He still couldn't believe how far he had made it. "I'm not sure Dawn. I'm hoping that I can beat the elite four and become champion, but that's a long shot..."

"What? Ash you are the most amazing trainer I have ever met. What makes you think that you can't win?" Dawn inquired, curious as to why the usually confident boy was doubting himself.

Ash sighed, "I've trained really hard over the past few years and I really do think I have a shot. It's just...Lance and the elite four are on an entirely different level from anyone that I have faced before. I guess I'm just nervous..."

Even though Ash sounded somewhat sad, Dawn couldn't help but laugh. Ash looked at her with a mixture of confusion and a bit of anger.

"What's funny about that Dawn?" Ash asked seriously.

Calming down from her laughter as she spoke. "The great Ash Ketchum...nervous. What a loud of crap! Ash, if there is one thing I learned from traveling with you, it's to never doubt yourself, no matter what the odds. You proved to me and everyone else that you could win even when facing incredible odds! It just isn't like you to doubt yourself. I laughed because of how ridiculous it is that you think you can't win because I know you can Ash." Dawn's voice turned sweet towards the end.

Ash couldn't help but smile at the support he was getting. He felt his confidence rise back up to normal levels. He found it amazing how Dawn would always go out of her way to support him. He was always grateful for the bluenette's over the top support. She had supported him probably more than any of his other companions; that cheer leading outfit was just amazing.

Ash let his mind wander to the image of the current Dawn in her old outfit.

"_Wow...Dawn..."_ Ash thought to himself as his teen hormones took over his mind for a moment. He was brought back to reality by Dawn waving a hand in front of his face.

"Thanks Dawn. I'm really glad to have your support, it means a lot to me." Ash said with a sweet smile.

Dawn blushed at his signature smile and put her head down in order to hide it.

It was just then that they arrived at where Ash was planning to go the whole time.

He took a deep breath of the crisp air as nostalgia washed over him.

"Pallet Town Park... It's been a long time since I've been here. I used to come here all the time with Gary. We would play for hours everyday." He smiled over the fondness of the memories.

It was almost as if Dawn could feel Ash's delight at being here, as a smile graced her beautiful face as well.

The park was nothing special. It had a traditional jungle gym that consisted of monkey bars, a few tubes to crawl through, a fireman's pole and a swirly slide. None of this caught the attention of the two teens however, as the both made their way, hand in hand, over to the swing sets.

Ash was surprised that their was no one there at the moment but decided not to question it as he and Dawn took their seats on swings right next to each other.

They were both swinging lightly as more conversation broke out between the two friends. They are both laughing and having a good time, but Dawn's mind kept wandering back to what Ash had said earlier.

Both Ash and May had taken a step toward achieving their goals, where as Dawn had yet to win a grand festival and take a step toward her ultimate goal. She was trying to just enjoy her time with Ash, but she was still feeling a little down.

Ash took notice of this and pressed on. "Dawn, what's wrong?" By this time, the two had stopped swinging and were just sitting.

Dawn looked surprised for a moment as she thought that she was hiding her sadness fairly well before she realized how well the two knew each other. There was no way to hid this from him. He was just glad that he was too dense to realize how she felt about him...at least for the time being.

"It's just. When you were talking about how you were nervous about facing the elite four, it got me thinking..." Dawn trailed off. "You've taken a real step toward your goal and May has as well, but I haven't. I still haven't won a grand festival. I've come so close, but I can never get that last push I need to win."

Ash looked at Dawn sadly. "Dawn...you have taken steps towards your goal. Even if you haven't won a festival yet, look at all the other things you've accomplished. You even won the Wallace Cup. You beat coordinators 30 years your senior! And look at me, it took me eight years to finally win a league, and it took May seven. You haven't been journeying as long as us, and you have gotten way further than either of us had at the early stages of our careers. You're amazing Dawn and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be happy with yourself again."

Dawn was starring at the boy with a wide smile on her face. Ash always had a way with words and he could make her smile no matter how down she felt.

The two were locked in a starring match for a while before Ash laughed nervously. He didn't know how Dawn felt about him, but this was how things started out with May before...

"_I sure have been giving a lot of long winded speeches lately." _Ash thought to himself. Trying to push the idea of a repeat of what happened with May happening again from his mind.

Ash felt his heart sink as Dawn stood from her swing and stood in front of Ash shyly.

Dawn was feeling very confident after she heard what Ash had to say and she was about to tell him how she felt, but as quickly as the confidence came, it was gone. Now however, here she was, standing in front of him, looking shy as can be.

She knew she had to find a way out of this, she she leaned in and hugged Ash. Ash was slowly getting more nervous, even though the contact with Dawn was more than pleasant. However, Dawn had an ulterior motive for the hug than just expressing thanks. Right before she released from the hug, she snatched Ash's hat from his head and took off towards the jungle gym.

"Hey! Dawn, that's my hat!" Ash said, giving chase to the bluenette.

Dawn laughed as she taunted her friend with his cap. She felt the mood was getting much too serious. After all, this was supposed to be a fun day with just her and Ash, and she intended to enjoy it.

"I thought your last name was Ketchum? So why can't you catch me?" Dawn teased from the top of the jungle gym.

"Oh like I've never heard that one before...I'm so gonna get you!" Ash said from the ground. He took off quickly up the steps and through a tunnel that would lead to Dawn's position on the top of the jungle gym.

Ash was about to pop out from the tube and grab Dawn when he spoke. "I...gotcha!" Ash grabbed where Dawn was supposed to be, but instead just hugged empty space. He looked around, confused.

Dawn noticed this and giggled. "Hey! Down here!" Ash looked to where his blue haired friend was standing on the ground near the swing set. "Did you forget about the slide?"

Ash face palmed as he realized that Dawn got away by going down the slide.

"I am so gonna get you Dee Dee." Ash said with a confident smirk, using her old nickname...which she hated. Ash made his way down the slide and was attempting to catch up to the fleeing Dawn.

"Don't call me that!" Dawn yelled over her shoulder as she tried to escape from Ash, laughing all the while. Even though she hated being called Dee Dee, she was a bit touched that Ash remembered that stupid nickname after all these years.

As she was yelling, she noticed Ash gaining on her. They were now in an open grassy field situated directly next to the playground. She knew that Ash would eventually out run her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. She put her all into trying to get away but eventually, Ash finally caught up to her.

Ash grabbed her around the waist and spun her around in the air, causing both to laugh.

"I told you I'd get you Dawn." Ash said with a confident smirk as he continued to hold her around the waist.

Dawn was still laughing and managed to calm down only a little in order to speak. "Okay Ash, you win."

Dawn then spun around in his arms so that the two were facing each other. She was looking up into his eyes, meeting their warm, kind stare. Ash was also looking into her deep blue eyes, a smile still gracing his lips. This was exactly what he needed at the moment; a nice day out with a great friend.

Dawn on the other hand, was thinking something different. She was absolutely lost in his rich, brown eyes. She was thinking of making a move and expressing how she felt; in Ash's arms, she felt like she was invincible. However, fear of rejection once again overtook her and she opted for something else.

Without breaking her gaze, Dawn took Ash's hat and placed it on his head, pulling it down over his eyes in the process. She couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looked. He was just standing there, not fixing his hat, with an unamused expression on his face. But it was obvious to Dawn that he was just faking being unamused to get a reaction out of her, which she wasn't ashamed to say worked.

"You always have to have the last laugh, don't you Dawn?" Ash asked, fixing his cap in the process, a warm smile still gracing his lips.

Dawn shrugged. "What can I say, the last laugh is always the most satisfying."

Ash sighed causing Dawn to giggle as they both took a seat on the grass. Ash opted to lay down and Dawn soon followed suit. This was followed by a comfortable silence between the two as both seemed to be lost in their thoughts.

As they watched the clouds roll by, Dawn decided to ask something she had been wanting to for a while now.

"Hey Ash?" Dawn asked, looking over to him from her laid back position.

"Hmmm?" Ash responded, having his eyes closed as he enjoyed the cool Kanto breeze.

"I don't know what you are going to do after you challenge the elite four, but if you plan on traveling again...then I want to come with you."

Ash opened his eyes and looked back at Dawn with a huge smile on his face.

"That would be great Dawn! And you know me, I can't exactly stay in one place for too long, so of course I'll be traveling again after I take on the elite four. I would love it if you came with me! I've really missed traveling with you." Ash said sincerely.

Dawn's smile widened as she looked at Ash. She hadn't doubted that Ash would say yes to her request to traveling with her again, but it felt good to actually hear him say it.

The two spent the rest of the evening in the park, playing, relaxing and just enjoying each others company.

_Ketchum Residence, 10:30 PM_

Both Dawn and Ash had returned hours ago, just in time for dinner. Sadly, May still refused to leave Ash's room, so the slightly uncomfortable tension still hung over the group as they ate.

Apparently, Max had challenged Paul to a battle when the two were training. Although it was a bit closer than his battle with Ash, Paul ultimately won by a quite a large margin.

Serena was quick to question where Ash and Dawn had been all day. Helping Delia and bonding with Misty only took about an hour and after she was done, she was planning on spending time with Ash, only to find out he had left with Dawn.

Dawn explained how they went to the park and had an amazing time. Serena put on a smile but inside, she was feeling a bit of anger. She didn't know how Dawn felt about Ash and the thought of the two of them together frightened her.

However, Serena was never the type of girl to be mean to others unless they truly didn't deserve her kindness. This trait is what allowed Serena to accept that Ash and Dawn hadn't spent quality time together in years and that they deserved to have their moment.

No w, it was late into the evening. With everyone having fairly eventful days, most were worn out.

Brock, Paul, Max and Delia were the first to head to bed as the girls faced a bit of a predicament, to which Ash was attempting to help them with.

"So...How are we going to do this?" Serena questioned, referring to the situation with May and the fact that she was in their shared room and seemed unwilling to let anyone in.

"Guys, she has to understand that we are just trying to go to bed. I feel like she'll let us in. And who knows, maybe she's ready to talk now." Dawn rationalized.

"Well, good luck to you all. I'm going to head to bed, I'm exhausted." Ash stated as he took off towards the living room.

Serena sighed loudly, "Well...we should probably head to our room as well. I'm not that tired, but maybe we can get May to talk now."

Both Dawn and Misty nodded in agreement as they three girls made their way up the stairs.

Misty didn't say it, but she planned on getting May, along with all the other girls to talk about how they felt. Specifically, how they felt about Ash. She thought that if everyone's feelings were out in the open, then they would be easier to deal with. At this point, Misty was guessing that both Serena and Dawn had feelings for Ash just based on the way the act around him.

They reached Ash's room quickly as Misty took initiative and knocked on the door.

"May? It's us. I know you said you wanted to be alone but we're pretty tired and we're kind of sharing the room." Misty reminded the girl. In fact, May wasn't even supposed to be sharing this room; her original designated sleeping spot was downstairs on the couch. But due to the circumstances of what happened, Misty could understand why she might not want to sleep there at the moment.

At first, there was no response from the brunette inside the room. This lead the three girls to think that May might have gone to sleep. After a few minutes of silence, Serena sighed and motioned for the other girls to follow her downstairs. They would just have to sleep in the living room.

As they turned to leave, they heard the sound of the door unlocking and opening slowly. The girls turned their heads only to meet one of May's bloodshot eyes from behind the barely open door.

"C-Come on in." May said in a pathetic tone of voice. Misty, knowing why she was acting like this, felt awful for her friend. Not to say that the others didn't feel bad as well, they just didn't have the full story...yet.

Without saying a word, Misty lead the way into Ash's bedroom as May allowed the door to fully open. May regretted turning the lights on as now it was obvious due to her puffy, red eyes that she had been crying.

All three girls took notice of this, but set it aside for the time being. Each girl took their pajamas and one by one, they took turns using the bathroom in order to change into them. Not long after, may had retaken her position of siting on Ash bed, her knees pulled up to her chest.

Misty was the last to leave the bathroom. As she did, she noticed everyone's position and the awkward silence that filled the room. Dawn was seated at the foot of the bed, looking at May sadly. May didn't notice this however, as she was starring absentmindedly at the bedsheets.

Serena was seated on top of her sleeping bag, also starring at the brunette. She was upset that her new friend was feeling so awful, but she didn't have the courage to ask why.

Misty took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the conversation that she was about to start. If what she thought was correct, this could end up not going very well.

She slowly made her way over to the bed an sat down next to Dawn, making sure to take the side that was closer to May.

"May?" Misty attempted to get the girl to look at her. When she didn't Misty tried again, but with more force this time around. "May. Look at me."

Reluctantly, May pulled her head from between her knees and met Misty's gaze. Now the three girls got a good look at May's eyes. It looked as if she had been crying all day. Both Dawn and Serena were glad that Misty seemed to be attempting to get May to talk; Something she desperately needed to do.

After succeeding in getting May's attention, Misty took another deep breath before continuing.

"May. It's obvious something is wrong and if you don't talk about it, it will just keep eating at you until you can't take it anymore." misty said seriously. She knew why she was feeling like she was, but she wanted to give May the opportunity to tell everyone herself.

May looked almost frightened as she looked from Misty to Dawn to Serena and then back to Misty. Rather than responding verbally, she shook her head.

Misty sighed, "May, you 're going to talk one way or another."

May looked at the girl, confused as to what she was talking about. Misty leaned in and cupped her hand around May's ear as she began to whisper.

"May...I know this is about Ash. I know that you kissed him." Misty then retracted herself and watched her friend for a reaction. She was hoping that now that she knew that she knew what was going on, she would just come clean to everybody but instead, May let a few tears drip down her face as she turned redder than a tomato berry.

"Misty! What did you say to her!" Dawn shot at the redhead, almost accusingly. She was feeling very protective of her best girl friend at the moment.

Misty didn't respond as she continued speaking to May this time, allowing everyone in the room to hear.

"May, we're your friends. If you just let us know, we'll be able to help you." Misty was almost plading at this point. She really didn't want to be the one to tell everybody. She felt it would be better if it cam from May herself.

But still, May stayed silent. The only sound coming from her was the occasional sniffle that came from her nose.

This was Misty's last hope at getting her to tell and she knew it. May was breaking. "May, if you just get your feelings out in the open, then everything will be easier to handle. I promise."

Both Serena and Dawn's ears perked up as they heard the tomboys last statement. They were both smart girls and based on what Misty was saying, they could piece together that Misty had some information about what was going on. At least...more information that they, or anyone else had.

"May, what is Misty talking about? What feelings? We just want to help and we can't do that if we don't know what happened." Serena questioned and pleaded. They were so close to knowing what was going through May's head. They were so close to being able to help her.

However, May still wouldn't speak. In fact, the most recent barrage of questions from Serena had pushed her over the edge as she put her head between her knees and began sobbing.

Misty waited until she calmed down a bit before she would say the last thing that she could think of. It was obvious that May was too embarrassed or ashamed to speak, so Misty knew what she had to do.

"May. Can I tell them? Can I tell them what happened between you and Ash?" Misty asked as delicately as she could.

If they weren't completely drawn in before, which they were, then Dawn and Serena certainly were now. They had suspected that May's condition had to do with Ash, but now they knew for sure.

May never looked up from her knees, but she did momentarily stop sobbing. The entire room was completely silent for a few minutes as May was thinking over what to do. Eventually, Misty noticed May nod her head, albeit barely. It was easy to tell that she wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do.

Misty took a deep breath and looked to both Dawn and Serena before speaking.

"May she...May kissed Ash." Misty struggled in the middle as she was still trying to figure out how to word it but in the end, she decided the more blunt the better.

May let the sobs return as she kept her head down.

Misty kept her eyes between both Dawn and Serena, looking for a reaction. She was surprised when neither of their facial expressions changed. The were both stoic as they let the information sink in.

Misty thought she might have been wrong about the two girls having feelings for Ash, but then she noticed that Serena and Dawn were both blankly starring.

Her theory was further confirmed as she watched a single tear trace it's way down Serena's face, without her even reacting to it. That tear was soon followed by many others as her stoic expression broke and she began to cry silently.

Dawn, while fighting back her own tears, felt that she deserved answers. She was extremely confused and taken aback by what was said.

She turned her attention to May, who still hadn't looked up from her knees. Dawn asked the number one question that was in her mind.

"Why May? Why did you kiss him?" Dawn asked, sounding like she was pleading that it had just been an impulse, one time thing.

Again, May didn't look up as she continued sobbing into her knees. Misty decided to do some explaining as she knew at least Ash's side of things.

"Apparently, May thought that it was her fault that Ash got shot and almost died. Ash told me that she kept apologizing and he explained to her that it wasn't her fault. He comforted her when she broke down and she just...kissed him." Misty explained what she had learned from Ash.

"I-I'm not sure why she did it. It could just be hero-"

Misty was cut off by May, who had not stopped crying but had lifted her head from her knees.

"I kissed him because I'm in love with him! Deeply, madly, head over heels in love with him, okay!?" May yelled. Immediately after, she broke down one again and placed her head back into its new favorite spot on her lap.

Even Misty was shocked by this. She knew that May had to have feelings for Ash, but she didn't know how deep those feelings ran.

At this revelation, Dawn joined Serena as she let a few tears cascade from her beautiful blue eyes.

After a few moments of just crying, Misty took charge again. This was her doing, and she had to complete what she set out to do. Now that she knew for sure that all three girls had feelings for Ash, she just had to get them out in the open.

"Everyone needs to stop crying right now." Misty said forcefully. "Crying isn't going to fix anything. All of you need to admit what you're feeling right now."

It took a few minutes but eventually, everyone's crying, even May's, had died down. Misty was right. They had to be open about their feelings if they were going to figure anything out.

May was the first to speak. "I-I just don't want to lose Ash as a friend, even if he doesn't love me back, all because of one stupid kiss." May then looked around and noticed the red eyes of both Dawn and Serena. She hadn't noticed them crying due to her own sobbing and she was a bit confused.

"W-why were you guys crying?" May asked, still sounding broken.

Serena looked at her like she was stupid. "Why do you think." She spat with more venom than she intended.

Slowly but surely, the pieces began to fall into place in May's mind. There was only reason that they would cry when they found out that she loved Ash. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Y-You guys have feelings for him too, don't you?" May asked dejectedly.

Dawn spoke up before Serena could answer. "May...I'm in the same boat as you here. I'm in love with Ash. I love him with all my heart. It has been dormant for so long but once I saw him again, I just knew."

"I've loved Ash for as long as I've known him. Ever since we met up in Kalos...I've been so incredibly in love with him that it hurts."

"I'm assuming that none of you have told him?" Misty inquired, being very careful with how she spoke. She knew that the three girls were in their most fragile and vulnerable state of their lives at the moment, and one harsh comment could potentially destroy them completely.

She got a collection of three head shakes, indicating that they have not told him.

Trying to lighten the tension in the room, Dawn spoke up with a half hearted chuckle. "I guess we have a bit of a dilemma her, don't we?"

"You could say that..." May said sadly. Three girls were now vying for Ash's heart.

Serena felt an anger rise up in her that she had never felt before. She couldn't believe that she couldn't see through all the hints.

"What I don't understand, is if you two love Ash so much, then why did you leave him?" Serena spat at the two girls.

Dawn, May and Misty took notice of the venom evident in her voice. Misty knew things could turn ugly very fast if this was the road they planned on going down.

May started crying again after hearing this. "I-I wish I never did. I was just a stupid kid back then and I thought I needed to go off on my own to become stronger. I still can't believe how wrong I was..."

Dawn, instead of breaking down like May, felt her own anger well up. "What about you? You may not have left, but at least we don't cling to him like he's our lifeline!"

Serena and Dawn were shooting daggers at each other as May continued to cry. Misty knew something had to be done before this got out of hand.

"Both of you stop it right now!" Misty scolded the two, almost sounding like a mother. "This is ridiculous, you guys are supposed to be friends! Yet here you are, at each others throats and crying about it. I know it sucks that you are all in love with the same guy, but at least you have someone to love! Not everyone can say that. And besides, you fighting or weeping won't make Ash fall for you. Ultimately, it's Ash's choice if he loves any of you, and you guys need to deal with it because you do not want to lose an amazing friend like Ash Ketchum!"

After hearing Misty speak, may immediately stopped crying and both Dawn and Serena looked away from each other in regret.

"Dawn I-I'm sorry. You too May, I shouldn't have said what I said. I really am sorry." Serena said sadly.

Dawn shook her head, "No Serena, I should be the one apologizing. I had no right to call you clingy. You were just doing what I'm sure all three of us wish we would have done. And that would be following Ash wherever he went."

"I'm so sorry I kissed him you guys. I had no idea that you loved him as well. The only reason this was even brought up is so that you could help me act normally around Ash again. I had no idea I would leave here knowing that two of my friends also loved my best friend." May added.

"So...what do we do from here? We obviously can't all have him." Serena reminded everyone.

Misty decided to speak up. "All you really can do is act like you normally do. I just hope that this doesn't tear your friendships apart. Love is the most powerful emotion there is and I'm a bit fearful that it may overtake one of you. With that aside, it is Ash's decision of who he wants to be with."

"Let's all make a promise then. We need to promise that our feeling won't get in the way of our friendship." Dawn said.

"I agree. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to do everything in my power to get Ash to love me the way that I love him." Serena added.

May nodded with a fake smile on her face. She hated to think it, but if it came down to her friendship with either Dawn and Serena or Ash, she would pick Ash every day of the week. She loved him more than anything and she didn't doubt the other girls did as well. For now , the only problem was how she was going to act normally around Ash now.

Misty, seeing May still conflicted, spoke softly so that only May could hear as Dawn and Serena were still talking. "May, if you are going to have any chance with Ash, then you need to get over your embarrassment. You shouldn't even be embarrassed that you kissed him, he even told me that he liked it. Now from Ash, that could mean anything but it's something. Ash isn't acting strange around you so you need to get over it and just act normally around him again."

May listened to Misty's words as a stupid grin grew on her face when she heard that Ash liked the kiss they shared because to her, it was the most amazing thing she had ever felt.

She nodded in understanding. She knew Misty was right. She just had to get over her embarrassment and go from there. She really hoped that she could get Ash to love her because if she couldn't, she didn't know what she would do.

Little did she know that both Dawn and Serena were having similar thoughts. They would put their all into earning Ash's love because to them, it was the most important thing in the world.

"Well, we should really head to bed. It's late and we have another full day ahead of us tomorrow." Misty said, to which everyone agreed.

Everyone said their goodnights as each one of them took their positions in the room as they had the night before. But as a showing of continued friendship, May gave up the bed for Serena, to which she happily complied.

Both May and Dawn, however had opted to take a pillow from Ash's bed. Even though it had been forever since Ash had slept on one of these pillows, they were both convinced that it still smelled like him; something that filled them with comfort they have never felt before.

With everyone extremely comfortable, they drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed a very romantic chapter 6. Next chapter is going to be probably the most important chapter of the whole story thus far as it will finally begin the main plot. (I know, this is going to be a long story). I also want to assure everyone that I promise this story will be seen through to completion. One of my biggest dislikes is when a great story comes along, but doesn't get finished. Oh and BTW, the rating of this story will eventually change to M when I see fit so...yeah. Anyways, chapter 7 will be out soon. See Ya!**


	7. Help and the Beginning

A Trial of Will

Morning time came quickly for the residence of the household. After a long and emotional night, the girls currently residing in Ash's room opted to sleep in for a while. Now it was 11:00, and the first of them was just now waking up.

Serena's eyelashes fluttered as sleep began to escape her. After about a minute of refusing to get up, she finally gave in, allowing the day to begin. She stretched whilst in the midst of a yawn while looking around the room. She noticed everyone else was asleep.

"Hm...Must have gotten up early." Serena thought to herself. Attempting to confirm her assumption, she glance at the Voltorb alarm clock on Ash's bedside table. She was shocked when she saw that it was 11:00 in the morning. And that not only her, but everyone else currently in the room had slept this late as well.

She thought the reason for everyone being so exhausted must have been because of all the emotional distress of the previous night.

Deciding that everyone had slept enough, Serena woke the other girls up one by one.

She started with Misty, figuring over the last couple of days that she didn't mind being woken up, and ended with Dawn who...let's just say was the opposite of Misty.

Eventually, everyone was as awake as they could be and began getting ready. They were all shocked when Serena told them the time and, not wanting to waste anytime, got ready with haste.

Apparently, "with haste" for May, Dawn and Serena meant only taking 30 minutes to do their morning beauty routines. After everyone was ready to go for they day, they headed down stairs, hoping to find some food.

About half way down the stairs, May's stomach grumbled loudly. She giggled and rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed, "Hehe...I guess I'm pretty hungry."

Dawn sighed before responding, "I swear May, you're always hungry. You probably eat as much as Ash!"

Rather than responding, May's, as well as Serena's and Dawn's mind began to wander to the Raven haired boy again. They imagined different scenarios, but they all shared one common idea...today, they were going to spend all of their time with Ash.

Even with everything that had happened, Ash almost dying, finding out that more than just one person had a crush on said boy, all three girls were still too afraid of telling him their feelings. No matter how Ash had grown over the years, he was still pretty dense when it came to love, and the thought of him not understanding their feelings and rejecting them terrified the girls to death.

Putting the thoughts at the back of their minds for the moment, the proceeded downstairs and into the kitchen, only to find Brock eating a sandwich at the table, alone.

Brock looked up from his book that he was reading as he was eating to see the group of girls standing in front of him.

He put a smile on his face before speaking, "Hey. So you finally decided to get up I see. Why did you all sleep so late?"

Not one of them was willing to respond, but knowing that if the didn't, Brock would ask questions, something they did not want to deal with at the moment.

Misty, seeing the fear on the other three girls' faces, decided to take charge, "You know, just a long night of hanging out and having fun with the girls! Isn't that right?"

May looked to Misty and then turned back to Brock with a wide smile on her face, "Yeah! We had a ton of fun last night!"

Dawn noticed what was happening and knew she had to chime in as well, "For sure!"

Rather than adding another response, Serena just happily nodded her head in agreement.

Brock continued to stare at the group for a few moments, seemingly thinking. He thought that Misty's response seemed a little too happy and excited. This just confirmed his thought that the girls were hiding something.

He knew this because he had seen all the girls asleep relatively early last night. He had gone to the kitchen to get a glass of water and decided to be a good friend and check to make sure that the girls were sleeping okay. He had opened the door to see them all sleeping soundly, and this had been at around 12:00, meaning the girls were not up terribly late. They really shouldn't have needed all that sleep unless something had happened.

But Brock, always being one to respect others' privacy, decided not to question why they weren't being truthful. He had known all of these girls for a long time, and he knew that they wouldn't lie unless they had a good reason.

Brock just gave them a head nod . "So, can I interest you guys in some breakfast...or brunch. That might be a better word for it considering the time."

Dawn laughed sheepishly and responded for the group, "Yeah...If it isn't any trouble Brock, some food would be great."

"No need to worry Dawn. I love cooking, especially for friends." Brock beamed.

Dawn smiled at hearing her longtime friend use her signature line. Her smile was knocked off of her face however, as she was nudged aside rather forcefully. The culprit turned out to be May, who was rushing to get a seat at the table, obviously eager for food.

"May! Watch where you're going!" Dawn exclaimed. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, but her emotions were a little out of whack from last night, causing her to lash out.

"Well, you shouldn't have been in my way." May mumbled under her breath. However, Dawn managed to hear it.

"What was that!?" Dawn screamed, causing Brock to try and intervene.

"Ladies! Stop it! Why are you at each others throats over nothing!?" Brock questioned loudly, making sure he would be heard.

His words were lost in the screaming match now going on between Dawn and May however. Somehow, even Serena had managed to get herself into the argument and was screaming along with the others.

All Brock and Misty could do now was wait until they were done with their screaming match.

"Maybe if you weren't so hungry all the time! You know what, I think you might be getting fat!" Dawn exclaimed, hitting a sore spot for May.

"I am not you bitc-" May started but was stopped when they heard voices from outside the kitchen door that lead to the backyard.

"Come on Paul, it wasn't that bad. You too Max, suck it up." The muffled voice of Ash could be heard through the door.

"Pika!" Pikachu said in an almost mocking tone.

Upon hearing this, all anger evaporated from the three girls as they calmly took their seats, much to Brock and Misty's relief.

Without delay, the door opened revealing a very sweaty Ash, Paul and Max. Ash was sweaty, sure, but no where near to the point Paul or Max were. Both of their shirts were almost like a second skin to the two them. It honestly looked as though they had just gone swimming.

"Ash. That was what I imagine hell to be like..." Paul mumbled as he groggily entered the house, followed by Max. Max looked like he was try to say something, probably agree with Paul, but he was too exhausted to speak.

All Ash could do was laugh. Sure, he was tired and sweaty too, but he was somewhat used to his training. Although, even after two years of doing this everyday, Ash still felt as though he would never get fully used to the training he put himself and his pokemon through; it was brutal.

Eventually, Ash turned away from his two male friends and noticed the quartet of girls sitting around the kitchen table.

"Oh, hey everyone. Good to see that you decided to wake up today. We came back here for a drink earlier and Brock said you still weren't up, and that was at 10." Ash finished with a smile.

Dawn, May, Serena and Misty all looked at the man with happy smiles.

"So...why do Paul and Max look like they were just pushed into the ocean?" Serena questioned, hoping to strike up a conversation.

Ash looked to Paul, who was currently chugging a bottle of water, and then to Max, who had his head down on the table. He smiled to himself before responding.

"Those two? Oh, they decided that they wanted to try out my training methods. I agreed, but told them that I would have to take it easy on them. But they couldn't except that, no, they had to do my regular workout which as you can see, might have been a mistake." Ash said, pointing to the two.

"Ash is a psycho! I don't even know how he can survive what he just put me through! I've never ran, lifted or even moved that much in my life! I'm serious, he has to be crazy!" The purple haired trainer said quickly, before loosing all energy and putting his head down, like Max.

Speaking of Max, he responded with a grunt without lifting his head from the table.

Ash giggled at this, but everyone else in the room looked slightly concerned for the two.

"Are they...they're going to be okay, right?" Asked Misty, a little bit of timidness in her voice.

Ash just giggled a bit more before responding, "Yeah, they'll be fine, they just need some rest. They will definitely be sore, but I'm sure that after a long bath and some stretching, they'll be back to normal in no time. But as for right now...they're going to need a little time."

Now that they knew that they were going to be okay, everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh. They had an idea of how hard Ash trained, but after seeing Paul and Max, they knew that the training had to be absolutely intense.

Ash didn't say anything,but he was glad to see May downstairs and laughing again. He was really afraid that their friendship might have been really messed up. He didn't want to say anything to her in fear of her freaking out and leaving again, but at least her being here was a step in the right direction.

The laughing had completely died down by this point and they were left in a comfortable silence as Brock continued to cook a nice brunch for the girls.

May mostly had her eyes locked on Ash, but for a few seconds, they went to Misty, who was starring back at her with intense eyes.

Misty motioned towards Ash with her eyes, who still was yet to sit down as he was trying to help Brock with his cooking.

May looked confused at first but then understood. Her mind wandered back to what Misty had told her the day before. She had to get over any awkwardness she was feeling with Ash if she ever wanted to be friends or more with him. She was nervous, but she knew it had to be done.

May sighed before standing up from her chair, gaining the attention of everyone currently sitting at the table. She slowly made her way over to Ash, who was bending over to look in the fridge for something that Brock needed.

"What was it you said you needed again Brock?" Ash asked.

"The milk Ash. How could you forget that, it's been literally five seconds since I asked you?" Brock responded with a question of his own, to which Ash only laughed sheepishly.

He grabbed the milk and handed it to Brock before seeing May walking up to him. No matter how confident he was that they could get through this, he still felt a bit nervous as he didn't want May to feel weird around him. Especially now that he knew about how May might feel about him.

Ash had done a lot of thinking to himself about how he not only felt about May, but all of his female friends and in the end, he could only came to one conclusion...he didn't know. Love had never been a priority for him, that spot was always pokemon, but now that he was 18, he started liking the thought of having someone to love...he just didn't know who.

Shaking these thoughts from his mind for the time being, he looked at May, who was now standing in front of him, eyes looking toward the floor, and her hands intertwined.

Ash mentally sighed as he say May's position. She still looked so shy and uncomfortable and that was not a good sign to him. However, his worries were soon washed away as he witnessed May unlock her fingers and meet his gaze.

Ash saw an aura of confidence radiating from her baby blue's, something that he hadn't seen since they had kissed. He missed that look.

"Listen Ash," May started. "I'm really sorry about how I've been acting. I don't know what else to say besides I'm sorry. I know it must have hurt when you thought that I was avoiding you, but I was just so confused and embarrassed. I just want you to know that I still really want to be your friend and I promise that I won't be awkward around you anymore. Can you forgive me?"

Ash saw May's sad and hopeful eyes and his heart almost broke. Did she honestly think that they wouldn't still be friends after this?

At the end of her speech, May had put her head down. Ash wanted to look into her eyes as he said what he was about to say, so he gently lifted her chin, causing her eyes to meet his once again.

"May. You have nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong. And of course we're still friends, we never weren't! Did you honestly think that just because you felt embarrassed we wouldn't still be friends? I mean come on May, you know me better than that!" Ash finished with his signature smile. He had also made sure to be discrete about what had happened, as he didn't know what the others knew about the situation.

May's face radiated happiness at hearing Ash's words. He was right, what was she thinking when she thought that they weren't friends? Ash was too great of a person to let something like this break them apart.

Out of pure impulse and desire, May wrapped her arms around the boy and brought him into the most emotion filled hug she had ever given.

At first, Ash resisted. Not because he felt awkward, but because of his current state.

"But May, I'm all sweaty and gross!" Ash explained, but she didn't seem to care.

Ash was surprised, not thinking that May would be so comfortable with contact so soon after the kiss, but he hugged back none the less, enjoying her scent.

May was finally happy with Ash again. If he could act normally around her, then so could she. Now she just had to figure out how to get Ash to like her as more than a friend...

May refused to let go of Ash as the hug continued to grow longer. By now, both Serena and Dawn were fuming. They thought that May was just using this hug to get closer to Ash when in reality, she was just lost in it.

The two girls knew they couldn't have an outburst, so they settled for a loud cough.

"Ahem." Serena cleared her throat loudly. It was obvious that it was just a ploy to get May to stop hugging Ash but at this point, Serena didn't really care.

Hearing the obnoxious cough, May hesitantly broke away from Ash. As they separated, their eyes locked once again and smiles graced both of their lips.

To Dawn, this was not a good sign. Now that she knew that both May and Serena also loved Ash, every little gesture made her jealous. The same went with Serena and the 'cutesy little smile' the two were sharing made her both nervous and mad.

Luckily for Dawn and Serena, their locked eyes were broken up by the door opening, revealing Delia in her gardening clothes.

"Hello everyone!" She said happily. Her smile faltered slightly as she saw the exhausted Paul and Max. her motherly instincts kicked in as a worried expression made its way to her youthful face.

Ash noticed this look of distress and spoke before his mother would go full on 'mom mode' on Paul and Max.

"Mom! It's fine. They just trained with me this morning. They're just tired and sore." Ash explained quickly, trying to get his point across as fast as possible.

"Oh...that makes sense. Okay then honey!" Delia knew how intense Ash's training routine was, so this made complete sense to the mother. "And by the way Ash, you might want to take a shower. There are pretty girls here you know."

Ash, along with May, Dawn and Serena all blushed at her comment.

"Mooooom!"" Ash screamed, embarrassed more than usual as he was confused about his feelings.

"Oh, you know I'm only joking sweetie." Delia shot a wink toward Serena, who's blush depend. "But serious Ash, take a shower. And take Paul and Max with you. It looks like they just got hit with a water pulse."

With that said, Delia returned to the garden.

Ash sighed. He was hungry and Brock's cooking smelled great, but he definitely needed a shower.

"Alright, I'm going to go shower. Make sure you save some food for me. I'm looking at you May." Ash finished in mock aggressiveness.

May giggled. "We'll see Ketchum."

Dawn and Serena looked at each other sadly. May had definitely won this morning, at least in their books.

With Brock assuring Ash that there would be food for him, Ash started toward the upstairs bathroom. As soon as he left the kitchen however, he returned.

"These two are going to need to bathe after me so..." Ash said whilst picking up Max and slinging him over his shoulder. He winced in pain for a short moment, as his somewhat fresh wound was still slightly sore.

He then made his way over to Paul and hefted him on his other shoulder, amazing the group. They knew Ash was strong. But this was ridiculous. Paul was no slouch. He stood about 6'1" and had to weigh at least 180 lbs, and Ash was carrying not only him, but Max as well.

Pikachu opted to follow him upstairs, hoping to get catch a nap on his trainer's bed.

Ash stood in the doorway and turned back to face his friends. "I'll be back soon."

As he turned to make his leave, he accidentally bumped Paul's head on the door frame.

"Ugghhh..." Paul grunted in Pain.

"Hehe...sorry." Ash responded. This earned a round of laughter from those still in the kitchen.

They all watched as Ash left the room, with two practically unconscious boys on both of his shoulders.

After a while, the silence started to fade, as brunch was served. As expected, it was absolutely delicious. They ate in what felt like, to Serena, May and Dawn, a comfortable silence. Brock and Misty however, felt a tad awkward.

Misty was contemplating whether or not she should tell Brock about what had been revealed the previous night. It's not that she didn't trust him to keep the secret, it's just she wasn't sure if she should just keep this between the girls. But if the fight earlier was a sign as to what was to come, telling Brock might be a good idea.

Brock was also thinking to himself. He was close to convincing himself to ask as to what the fight was about. What could that fight have been about? It was something so trivial, but the three were at each others throats within seconds. Were they mad at each other? Were they on their...um...periods?

Brock shuddered at the thought and decided that most likely wasn't it. He had traveled with all of the three girls since they had gone through puberty, and they had never acted like this before.

Brock finally decided that he needed to know what was going on, and now was as good a time as any.

"Okay, what's going on?" Brock asked sternly. Misty was the only one that didn't seem confused by the question; she was almost expecting this.

Dawn and Serena looked at the older man, heads cocked. May also looked up from her plate, her mouth full of food.

"What do you mean Brock? We're just eating what you made us. It's delicious by the way!" Serena said, trying to change the subject. She had a feeling that Brock was referring to the altercation earlier that morning.

"You know what I'm talking about, I can see it in your eyes." Brock stated. "I'm talking about why you were at each others throats this morning. Dawn! I thought you were going to kill May!"

Both Dawn and Brock put guilty looks on their face. They were doing exactly what they promised they wouldn't just the night before; they were letting their rivalry come between them.

"Brock I-I don't know what to say." May stated, looking at Brock. She then turned to face Dawn. "But I do know what to say to you. Dawn, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"No May, I should be the one apologizing. You were just being yourself, and you barely even pushed me. I was being a total bitch." Dawn said, surprising May a bit with her own self deprecating words.

Serena then decided to jump in, "I'm sorry too! I wasn't even involved in what happened but I just had to get a word in edge wise. I don't even know why I did it."

The three girls then joined into a group hug.

As this was going on, Misty had decided to explain things to Brock. She told him everything, from the kiss to how all three girls were in love with Ash.

Brock was a little surprised, but not much. He had deciphered long ago that Serena had feelings for Ash, and the fact that May and Dawn did as well wasn't very shocking.

"Wow. So all three of them love Ash...huh. Well that's a problem." Brock whispered so that only himself and Misty could hear.

"I know. I'm really worried for them. They're all my friends and I don't want to see them get hurt." Misty responded, to which Brock nodded in understanding.

"So...it seems like you girls are in quite the situation." Brock turned his attention from Misty after he saw that Dawn, May and Serena had finished apologizing.

May scoffed, "No kidding..." She assumed that Misty had told Brock about their predicament and was more than okay with it. She knew she could trust Brock and having someone as smart as him helping them would definitely be beneficial.

May looked dejected when Brock had spoken, with Dawn and Serena looking similar. It really was a huge problem that will ultimately end with someone getting hurt.

"What do we do Brock? Obviously you know, so please help us. How are we going to get through this without being hurt." Serena spoke very softly. After the distraction of the heartfelt apologies, the gravity of the situation came back full force and because of it, Serena was almost crying tears of desperation.

Brock sighed and looked at the three young ladies sitting in front of him. He saw every single one of them as a sister and would help anyway he could.

"Okay, so you're all in love with Ash.." Brock trailed off but was planning on continuing to speak until he was cut off by the four others in the room.

"Shhhh! Do you want Ash to hear you!?" Dawn exclaimed in a half whisper.

Seeing the series of glares he was receiving, Brock but his hands up in defense.

"Geez, I wasn't even talking that loud. Sorry... But you all having feelings for 'you know who' is definitely a problem." Brock said.

"We just need to know how to get out of this situation with all of us being happy in the end." Dawn spoke almost pleadingly.

Brock sighed again, "I hate to say this Dawn but...that's not going to happen."

May, Dawn, Serena all visibly saddened when they heard this. They knew that it wasn't possible for them all to have what they want, but hearing it said outloud just made the idea seem so...real.

"With the situation that you're all in, someone is bound to get hurt. It's inevitable. You have to be very careful with how you go about this. If you want your friendships with each other, including Ash, to withstand your feelings no matter what the outcome, then you have to tred carefully." Brock finihsed, giving the only advice he could think of.

"I still can't believe that you two love Ash also. When I realized my feelings, I was so excited and happy but now...I'm terrified." May said, looking towards the Bluenette and Blonde.

It looked as if Serena was about to respond, but she was prevented from speaking when someone cleared their throat.

Hearing this, everyone looked toward the kitchen door and saw Delia, who was grinning madly.

"How...How much did you hear?" May asked, although she already knew the answer. The grin gave it away.

"More than enough." Delia responded. "I can't believe that all three of you have feelings for Ash!"

"Yeah, neither can we." Serena said sadly.

Delia looked at Serena with pity and sadness. She had confided in her about her feelings for Ash and now, it wasn't just her out for Ash's heart.

"Oh boy, this is a problem, isn't it?" Delia asked rhetorically.

Receiving a series of head nods, Delia smiled at the three girls sadly.

"Well despite everything, I'm glad my Ash has the love of three beautiful girls." Delia always was one to look for the best in a situation.

"What did you say mom? Something about love?" A voice said, coming from were the kitchen and the living room met.

Upon hearing this, everybody's hearts sunk; well, everyone except for Delia.

While the faces of Dawn, May, Serena, Misty and Brock were covered with horror, Delia's smile never left her face.

"Oh nothing dear. I was just saying how much I love you!" Delia said to her son. She knew how sensitive the recently revealed topic was to the three girls in front of her, so lying to Ash, sadly was the only option. She thanked Arceus that she was always a quick thinker.

"Mom.." Ash trailed off sheepishly, completely buying the lie. Because it seemed that Ash hadn't discovered their feelings, Dawn, Serena and May internally sighed in relief.

May was however, questioning why she was still worried about Ash finding out about her feelings. After the kiss, he would have to be a complete idiot not to think that she had feelings for him.

Little did she know that her feelings were the only thing on his mind when he took his shower. After the kiss and what Misty had told him, he was trying to figure out his feelings towards the brunette.

She was beautiful, there was no denying that and she had always been there for him, but the same could be said about both Dawn and Serena as well.

His mind trailed off to the bluenette coordinator and the blonde. Again thinking back to what Misty had said, he wondered what feelings those two held towards him. He knew he should face his confusion and try to find an answer, but this challenge was simply to great for him at the moment so he shook his thoughts away, at least for the time being.

Now Ash stood, slightly embarrassed due to his mom's words, in the kitchen along with his friends.

"By the way everyone, Paul and Max are taking a nap. They should be fine in about an hour. Definitely sore, but fine non the less." Ash reassured the group.

Now that the worry had passed, most everyone had welcomed Ash as Brock made his best friend a large plate of food.

Seeing the literal mound of food being placed in front of him, Ash's eyes grew wide.

"Brock my friend, you know me too well." Ash said just before digging into the large plate. Brock smiled happily as he watched his friend eat. He was always happy to do something nice for a friend, even if it was something as simple as making food for them.

No matter how long they had been around him, the pace at which Ash ate still amazed everyone, well, except for May. But that was only because she was the only other person that could rival Ash's eating habits.

In seemingly no time at all, the giant mound of food was gone and Ash was sitting back in his chair, looking satisfied.

"You out did yourself again Brocko. Another excellent meal." Ash paid his compliments to the chef, to which Brock bowed, pretending to be fancy.

"So Ash, what are we going to do today?" Dawn questioned the raven haired trainer.

"Well, I need to go talk to professor Oak about something before we do anything else. But other then that, I don't really have anything planned. I'm up for anything I guess." Ash responded, gaining a curious glance from Serena.

"What is it you have to talk to Professor Oak about Ash?" Serena inquired.

Ash smiled cryptically in response. "You'll just have to wait and find out. Let's just say I have a theory as to why Heal Pulse worked on me.'

This gained a few surprised looks from throughout the room, even Delia. However, they knew they wouldn't get a real answer out of Ash until he spoke with Professor Oak.

"He said to meet with him in about an hour because he is working on something at the moment, so we have some time to kill." Ash mentioned.

"Well, why don't we just watch some TV or something. I really don't have any other ideas of something we could do that would only take an hour." Misty suggested. She got a series of head nods and shrugs in response.

One by one, each person made their way from the kitchen to the living room. Misty was about to follow her friends until she was halted by Delia's hand landing on her shoulder.

Misty turned around to face the older woman; obviously she wanted to say something to her.

"Misty, you need to tell Ash about their feelings." Delia started gesturing to the still visible Dawn, Serena and May. Misty looked at the mother with shock and uncertainty written on her face.

Seeing this, Delia continued, "I know that they are probably too scared at the moment to tell him themselves, but he needs to know. If he doesn't, then there is a good chance that Ash will inadvertently hurt one, if not all of them. He needs an idea of what is going on around him if everyone is going to make it out of this still friends with one another."

Now that she had explained, Misty seemed a little more keen to the idea. She knew how Ash was, and Delia was 100 percent correct with her assumption. Deciding it would be for the best, Misty nodded in agreement.

Delia smiled, "Good, now go on and join your friends."

Misty did as she was told and made her way to the living room. As she entered, she noticed everyone sat at various positions around the room.

Not surprisingly, Dawn, May and Serena were quietly arguing over who would sit next to Ash on the couch. Misty sighed and decided to make the choice easy for them. She took the seat next to Ash on the two-person couch, much to the three girls displeasure. They knew why she did what she did however, so they sighed and took their seats at other positions in the room.

Ash was currently in control of the remote and was flipping thorough the channels, looking for something they could all agree to watch.

Sometime during this, both Paul and Max had made their way downstairs, much to everyone's surprise. Pikachu followed not far behind, being totally rejuvinated by his nap as he leaped onto his trainers lap.

"Hey, I thought you guys were taking a nap after Ash almost killed you." May said with a giggle.

Max, who usually wouldn't take May's comments, decided it would be best for him not to cause a fight at the moment.

"I know this doesn't sound like it makes any sense, but we're too tired to sleep." Paul said somewhat groggily.

"No, I know what you mean. Sometimes being over tired leaves you just as much energy as if you got a good nights sleep." Ash said, rationalizing Paul's words.

"I'm sure we'll crash later though. Probably during something important knowing my luck. " Max added, earning a laugh from the room.

As the two took their seats, Ash returned to flipping through the channels.

"So what do you guys want to watch?" Ash questioned the group. All he got in response was a series of shrugs, so he opted to just keep flipping through the channels until someone stopped him.

He continued channel surfing until Brock stopped him when something caught his eye.

"Wait! Ash go back two channels. I think I saw something." Brock said quickly, to which Ash complied.

The channel Brock had requested turned out to be the Kanto News.

"Brock why do you want to watch the new-" Ash was cut off by Brock.

"Shut up and watch." Brock said sternly. It wasn't often Brock sounded this aggressive, so Ash complied.

He looked and saw a beautiful news anchor speaking, but what really caught his eye was the ensigna in the top corner of the screen.

Sitting on the television screen was the emblem of Team Rocket, and under the picture read 'Rockets Running Rampant.' This caught everyone's attention as they continued to watch intently.

"Team Rocket, a long known group of pokemon thieves, have amped up their crimes. We have gotten confirmation of 12 murders within the past three days that have been tied to the organization." The news anchor finished emotionless.

Everyone's jaw dropped upon hearing this. They had thought that Jessie's murder attempt may have just been a rogue rocket taking the mission into her own hands, but this proved what was in the back of everyone's minds. Team Rocket was evolving into something even more terrifying than they were before.

"Hold on... We are just getting word that the Silph Co. Building in Saffron City is currently experiencing a hostile takeover from the hands of Team Rocket. This is the second time in the building's history, but who will be there to stop it this time? Police are just now arriving at the scene, but they fear that they might be too late. The first floor is littered with deceased workers and we fear that the rest of the floors look no better. The risk of storming the building to arrest the Rocket's is too great, even for the police, as these monsters are no longer afraid to kill. More news will be reported as it comes in." The anchor finished, letting a bit of unprofessional emotion seep into her voice.

The whole room was deathly silent. Delia, who had been walking through the living room to go upstairs, had stopped to witness the news cast. There was no doubt that the workers inside of the Silph Co building were most likely dead or taken hostage. Where most everyone was terrified by what they had just heard, Ash was absolutely furious.

"They can't get away with this..." Ash said quietly through gritted teeth. "Those sons of bitches will not get away with this!" Ash's voice went from nearly silent, to deafeningly loud.

"We have to do something!" Ash continued screaming, now looking at his friends, most of whom had their heads down as tears filled their eyes.

The only person on board with Ash at the moment was Paul.

"Those people had families... I'm with you Ash! They can't get away with this!" Paula greed loudly.

Seeing the burning determination in her son's eyes, Delia became increasingly worried.

"Ash NO! I can't let you go out there and risk your life for this! Team Rocket already almost took you away from me and I can't let that happen again! You are going nowhere!" Delia finished, with av oice filled with both concern and seriousness. She meant business.

"Mom! If we don't do anything, then who will?!" Ash tried to explain to his mother, who would have nothing of it.

"You heard me young man! I am your mother and no matter how old you get, you still have to listen to me!" Delia screamed as tears entered her eyes.

"Grraahh!" Ash let out a scream if frustration as he made his way toward the front door. "I'm going to go talk to the professor." Ash spoke bitterly as he walked through the door, Pikachu following close behind.

"Ash, wait!" Serena screamed as herself, Dawn, May, Max and Paul followed behind.

Delia was worried that her son was lying and was actually going to try and stop Team Rocket, but she trusted her son and that caused her not to chase after him.

"Don't worry Delia, we'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Misty said as her and Brock began running after their friend, leaving behind an emotional Delia.

Everyone had caught up to Ash about 3/4ths of the way to Oak's lab. It was easy to tell that Ash was still fuming as he was stomping very aggressively.

"Ash, you need to calm down." Brock tried to reason with the boy.

He didn't respond until they were right outside Oak's lab.

"Calm down? Calm Down!? How can I calm down when innocent people have just been slaughtered for no good reason!?" Ash exclaimed. It was hard to tell for sure, but it looked as if a blue light was faintly surrounding his body.

"Ash, think this through. You were already almost killed by Team Rocket and if you just run in blindly to try and help...you will die." Misty said seriously, scaring each other person currently present, even herself.

Ash started breathing heavily as he proccessed Misty's words. He knew she was right and that he was being irrational, but it was impossible due to his healpful nature not to want to help, no matter what the cost.

He took a few deep breaths and became calm. Paul had done the same thing, also registering Misty's words.

Ash sighed, You're right Misty, I'm sorry for acting so crazy, I just can't believe what Team Rocket is doing. I always thought they were jsut petty theives, but now...they're murderers."

"Listen, I know you want to help, but we have to protect ourselves first. We don't know what Team Rocket will do or where they will be." Brock added.

Now, Serena, Dawn, May and Max were all shaking in fear, which didn't go unnoticed by Ash. He also knew that the others were afraid, they were jsut better at hiding it.

"Everyone, I promise that as long as I'm here, nothing bad will happen to you. You have my word; I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you all stay safe." Ash said reassuringly.

Ash's honest words had settled everyone a bit and the three girls and the young trainer had stopped shaking.

Dawn was the first to rush to Ash and give him a hug, but it was followed by May, Serena and Max.

"Thank you Ash." Dawn mumbled into his shirt. He tried to hug back as best he could, but hugging four people at once was proving to be a challenge.

Eventually the four broke off as freed Ash. Ash then proceeded to open the currently unlocked doors that would lead them to professor Oak. He held the door open for everyone to enter before him, to which they all happily complied.

This left Misty and Ash at the back of the pack. Thoughts of what Delia had told her were floating through her mind as she thought about telling Ash. Even though this seemed like a very poor time for this, she wanted to get it over with quickly.

"Hey Ash?" Misty said as a question.

"Hmm." Ash hummed back in response.

"There's something you need to know." Misty glanced over at the raven haired trainer to make sure that he was listening. Seeing that he was, she continued, "Listen, I really didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but a recent 'revelation' has told me that it is necessary that I do."

Misty sighed before beginning again, "I was talking to Dawn, May and Serena the other day, trying to help May get over what happened and...well, it turns out that May is in love with you."

Ash's eyes bulged in shock as he looked make sure that no one else could hear their conversation. Seeing that they hadn't, he pulled Misty behind a book case so they could continued their conversation.

"Are you serious?! Love, as in..Love Love" Ash asked, clearly shocked at how deep the brunette's feelings ran.

"Yes Ash, but that's not all. It turns out that...Dawn and Serena are in love with you as well." Misty was feeling oddly timid as she spoke. It almost felt as if she was confessing her own feelings to a boy she loved.

By this point, Ash's eyes couldn't have been any wider. Misty saw him go pale and he was afraid that he would faint. Luckily for them both, he didn't. Instead, one word excaped his mouth.

"Why?" Ash asked almost inaudibly. Misty wasn't sure if he meant why they loved him or why she was the one telling him this. She decided to go with number two.

"Because Ash, you need to be careful about this. Three different people want your heart and if you're not careful, then someone is going to get hurt. The reason I told you is so you make sure to be careful about how to go about this. By not knowing how they felt, you would have been playing blind. Now that you know, I hope you will be able to get out of this with everyone being okay." Misty finished.

Ash didn't respond. He was too lost in his thoughts to speak. How could three girls all love him? What was he going to do? How did he feel? These were all questions that Ash did not have the answer to.

_"Well this just got about a million times more complicated..."_ Ash sthought to himself as he thought about what Misty had said.

Even if he was confused, he was glad he knew. Knowing would allow him to be careful about how he went about this situation. He decided he would think about this long and hard later on.

Ash nodded his head as they heard Brock calling for them. They appeared from behind the bookshelf and ran to catch up with group.

Apparently, the group had been waiting at the door to the professor's private study. Taking initiative, Ash walked up to the door and knocked.

Footsteps were heard and a few moments later, the door opened revealing the professor in all his glory.

"Hey professor Oak!" Ash said cheerfully. Despite everything that was going on in his head at the moment, he managed a smile.

"Ash my boy. You're early. We aren't supposed to be meeting for another 30 minutes or so." Oak spoke, glancing at his watch.

"Sorry, professor, but something came up and I just had to rush here and talk to you." Ash responded.

"It's okay Ash, I finished much earlier than expected so come on in, all of you!" Professor Oak said happily. Oak steped aside, allowing the group to enter his study.

"So Ash, what is it that you wanted to talk about?' Oak questioned.

Ash was currently leaning on professor Oak's desk and playing around witha stress ball. "Well first off, did you happen to catch the news about Team Rocket?"

The professor's face visibly saddend. "Sadly yes, i have. I was listening to the radio while I was working when teh report came in. I truely can't believe it. I guess that means that that Jessie girl who tried to kill you is now what all Team Rocket members are like. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a little worried about it."

"Yeah, me too professor. I can't believe they would stoop to cold murder. But anyway, that's not what I came here to talk to you about. I came here to tell you my theory as to why Lucario's Heal Pulse worked on me and didn't kill me like the rest." Ash changed the subject.

Everyone else in the room was listening intently to the conversation between the two. They had wanted to know why Ash survived the pokemon move ever since it happened.

Oak's eyes widened, "Really? That's great! That's actually what I was working on in here. I am still trying to figure out why it worked on you and no one else. I've been trying to find a theory ever since the incident occurred, but I can't think of anything!"

"Well, let me tell you my theory and let me know what you think." Ash said. Seeing Oak's approving nod, he continued. "Professor, everyone, do you remember when I told you all about my journey to the Tree of Beginning?"

Ash received a series of head nods from around the room as well as knowing smiles from Brock, max and May as they had been there with him during that journey.

"Well, with some help from a particular Lucario, I came to learn that I posses a very strong aura. An aura that very closely resembles that of the ledgendary Sir Aaron himself." Ash checked to make sure that everyone was following along. The look on the Professors face told him that he knew where he was going with this. "My theory as to why a survived a pokemon healing move is because of my aura. Now, I have done no training to hone it, but it is still strong within me and I think that, along with me an Lucario's strong bond, is why I survived." Ash finished.

"Of course! You have an aura like no one alive today! That has to be it!" Professor Oak exclaimed as he began to write things down.

"It also explains why your eyes were blue when you woke up." Max added, happy to show off his knowledge of anything and everything.

"Wow Ash, I almost totally forgot about your aura. Good work!" Misty commended the man, who grinned in response.

"Thanks everyone. I know I know, I'm awes-" Ash was cut of by a loud noise.

The boom resounded throughout the entire town of Pallet, confusing the group as to what caused it.

"What was that?" Serena asked, confused.

"Professor, is there any construction going on in or around Pallet right now?" Ash questioned the knowledgable man.

"Not my knowledge. I have no idea what that could have been." Oak responded. Just then, another boom sounded, startling everyone in the lab.

"Let's go check it out!" Paul said, leading the pack toward the exit. Everyone, including the professor, followed.

Once outside, they saw a large cloud of smoke about a half mile away from their position. Seeing the direction it was coming from, Ash's heart dropped. He took off sprinting towards the scene with no regard for anything else around him.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu yelled as he ran after his best friend, catching up to him quickly.

"Ash, Pikachu, wait!" Serena screamed, but it was in vein. Ash was either out of hearing distance or he wouldn't stop.

She started running after him, followed closely by Paul, Brock, Dawn, May and Max. That left Mist and professor Oak still standing in front of the lab. Oak had a horrified look plastered on his face.

Misty grunted in annoyance. "Come on professor, we need to go see what's going on." Oak nodded in agreement as the two took off running.

Misty was surprised by Oak's endurance. Even at his old age, he was keeping pace with Misty and barely breathing heavy.

"Professor, why do you think Ash ran off like that?" Misty asked, even though she had an idea as to why. She thought Ash was just being himself and was rushing to help anyone in need.

Increasing his speed, Oak responded with urgency. "Misty. The smoke is coming from the direction of Ash's house. I don't know what that means, but we have to get there."

Misty looked shocked. How could she have not realized it. Holding back tears from thinking of the worst case scenario, she increased her pace as well as the two continued running.

Misty and Oak had arrived not long after the rest of the group did. The both looked around to see where they were. This only confirmed their worst fear.

This was Ash's house.

The scene was horrifying. What used to be Ash's home was now a pile of black char. There were a multitude of small fires burning strongly from the rubble. There was truly nothing left.

The moment Ash had arrived, tears welled up in his eyes and he dropped to his knees. It was easy to tell that he was going into shock as he started shivering, his facial expression never changing from one of seriousness even as tears fell down his face.

Pikachu had seated himself next to his trainer, in a simialr state as him.

The first group of people had arrived soon after. Immediately taking in what was once the Ketchum residence and then looking strait to Ash.

Brock ran up to Ash, who he saw was shaking, so he could get a closer look at him. Even though he was feeling terrified inside, he had to stay calm to help everyone through this.

"Guys, he's in shock. He needs to stay warm." Brock stated urgently, ignoring the burning pile of rubble that stood before him for the moment.

Brock's words broke everyone out of their shocked states as Misty and Professor Oak arrived. Hearing Ash's need for warmth, Dawn rushed to him and wrapped him in a hug.

This was not for pleasure however, she was honestly doing the first thing she could think of to keep the boy warm. May and Serena saw this, but knew that their stupid rivalry had to wait for the moment.

Paul offered up his light jacket to Dawn who happily accepted it and wrapped it around Ash.

Why had this happened? What caused this? These were all questions that were running through Ash's, along with everyone else's, minds.

Brock, being one of the few, along with Paul and Oak, keeping a level head, looked around for any sort of clue for what might have happened. Although, he did have a theory...

Ash was brought out of his shaken mental state for a moment as he saw something move slightly under the rubble.

He shook Dawn off of him and rushed over to who ever was under the rubble. He began clearing it, trying to help whatever it was that was there. Once all of the ruble was moved, Ash saw a very injured looking Mr. Mime.

"Mimey!' Ash exclaimed as tears rushed out of his eyes. The pokemon was covered in soot and had a large gash across its chest. He was bleeding heavily.

Ash brought Mr. Mime into his arms as the life began to drain out of his body. "Mimey! Come on, stay with me. You're going to mbe fine. We just gotta get you to a pokemon center!"

As ash finished his last sentence, the mime pokemon closed his eyes for the last time.

"Mimey! Mimey come on wake up! Fight it!" Ash screamed at the deceased pokemon as tears poured from his eyes.

All of his friends watched on as their own tears cascaded down their faces. Seeing the usually strong Ash bereak down like this was killing them inside.

Broke tore his eyes away from Ash as the raven haired trainer dropped to his knees once again, Mr. Mime still in his arms. He began searching for anything that would help him figure out what happened. He didn't have to look for long however, as he spotted a perfectly white piece of paper sitting atop a tall pile of rubble.

He reached out and grabbed the paper as his heart sank into his stomach. He knew there was no way this paper would've stayed so white if it had been in the house when the explosion occurred. That meant that someone had to have placed it there afterwards. Confirming the fear that a person had done this.

Before opening what he assumed to be a note, he walked back to the group if his emotional friends and companions.

"Guys, I-I found something." Brock said solomly. This caught the attention of all but Ash, who didn't look to Brock, but was still listening.

Brock carefully opened the folded paper to find words written inside. He sighed before he began reading them.

"To my dear friend Ash Ketchum,

I bet you're wondering what happened here. Well, the short answer is that I destroyed your house. Are you wondering why I did this? Well I can answer that for you. You have been a thorn in our side for too long and we plan to eliminate you. We tried once, sending an agent you're familiar with to kill you, but that obviously failed. So we decided to take another route. Why not have some fun with our extermination, right? Anyway, we decided it would be fun to make you come to us. You running to your own death, there's something oddly poetic about that, isn't there? Anyway, don't worry about your mother, we made sure to get her out of the way her before we blew your house to hell. No, she's not dead, she's with us. Our prisoner, if you will. We needed something or in this case, someone, that would make you come after us, and who better than your own mother! You're way too protective of people, you know that? That's why we know you will come for her. Why don't we make this even more fun, shall we? We're not going to tell you where we are! So good luck finding us, and just know, the longer it takes, the worse off your precious mother will be. The hunt is on. Good luck.

Your pals at Team Rocket,

Giovanni and Ghetsis."

Brock finished reading the letter aloud and looked to gauge everyone's reactions. Most everyone were slack jawed. How could anyone be so cold to just toy around with someone's life? Everyone, even professor Oak and Paul, had shed a tear when the heard the situation.

"...What do we do?" May asked between sobs.

No one responded to the brunette, but one person did act.

Ash had placed Mr. Mime gently on the ground and stood to his feet. He wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to face his friends. Seeing that he had their attention, he balled his fists and spoke.

"Exactly what they want me to..."


	8. A Plan and Going Primal

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter for "A Trial of Will." Sorry if last chapter seemed a little rushed, because it was. Anyways, this story is beginning to take a turn for the serious and will be bumped up to M soon. Also, don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile if you haven't already, the results will heavily influence the story. Enjoy Chapter 8.**

**Oh, but first, I probably should have said this earlier but. I do not own Pokemon.**

**P.S. Just a note for future chapters. I use phrases like "Oh my Arceus" when someone is surprised because it is the pokemon universe after all. But in heated discussions or screaming matches, I will use the word "goddamn" simply because saying "Arceusdamn" tends to take away the seriousness behind the word.**

* * *

A Trial of Will

"_The thing about a hero, is even when it doesn't look like there's a light at the end of the tunnel, he's going to keep digging, he's going to keep trying to do right and make up for what's gone before, just because that's who he is." -Joss Whedon_

"...Exactly what they want me to..."

It was simple, to the point, but for the people huddled around the raven haired boy, they simply couldn't…wouldn't, understand.

Ash spoke with such venom that it halted everyone's tears and sent shivers down their spines.

"Ash, what are you talking about?" Dawn spoke a bit hesitantly. Seeing her best friend in this state had her shaken.

Ash cocked his head in what could have been untrue or real confusion, the scowl never leaving his face.

"I'm getting my mother back." Ash spoke with a forcefulness that even he was surprised with.

Things seemed to click for everyone at once. Ash had thought he made his intentions clear enough, but seeing the horror just now cross his friends' faces made him think otherwise.

"Ash, y-you can't do that!" Serena screamed. Like the others, what Ash was planning on doing had just been processed by her mind.

"Giovanni said he's going to kill you! He _told _you what his plan was!" May added, just as loudly as Serena.

Ash couldn't even stand to look at his friends if they weren't going to support him, so he turned his gaze to the heavily overcast sky. It looked like it was about to rain as almost no sunlight was seen from behind the clouds. He couldn't help but let out a dark scoff at this.

"_Sure does fit the mood…" _He thought to himself.

After a moment, his eyes returned to his friends.

Ash's eyes narrowed in contempt; his voice completely losing the warmth and comfort it always seemed to hold as he spoke, "So you're saying that I should just forget about my mother? Leave her to die in the hands of the two most evil people the world has ever seen?! No...that is not going to happen."

The group had to admit that his reasoning was infallible, but that didn't stop them from trying to get Ash to think things through.

Serena was about to dispute with the man, but lost her voice and shrank back in fear when she looked into his eyes. They were so cold; so full of malice. Hatred. Complete and utter abhorrence.

"Ash, you need to think things through here, be reasonable." Brock tried to reason. He put his hands up in defense as he spoke. He saw what was going on in his mind and he really didn't want things to turn ugly.

Paul on the other hand, walked so that the two trainers were face to face before speaking. "You need to start thinking. If you don't, then you are, without a doubt, going to die. You can't be an idiot like this! Stop being so goddamn rash all the time and let-."

Paul collapsed to the ground quickly after a solid punch to the face was delivered by Ash. He was huffing heavy breaths as he shook the pain from his fist and watched Paul on the ground.

If this was the old Paul, he would have gotten up and hit Ash right back, no matter the circumstances. But he wasn't like that anymore, so he stayed down, knowing he had come on too strongly in a time of great emotional distress.

The others looked on in a mixture of fear and pity. Watching the hatred grow in Ash's eyes before he hit his good friend was terrifying. Ash had lost control, and everyone knew it.

"Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do. You call me an idiot? HA! How am I the idiot when I'm the only one still thinking straight! A little strange since it was _my _mother that was kidnapped, don't you think?! After everything that woman has done for me, I would die a million times over for her." Ash didn't pick one person out specifically from the group to scream at. Instead, his eyes scanned over each person as he yelled.

"Why can't you guys forget about all the reasons it won't work and focus on the reason it will!" Ash continued yelling, lowering his head afterward.

Ash took a long pause, no one daring to speak for the moment. If something were to be said that he didn't like, it could break Ash to the point of no return...if he wasn't there already.

The anger on the raven-haired man's face never left. Instead, that visible anger was joined by a few slowly cascading tears and visible sadness.. "I thought you guys were my friends..."

That one hurt.

Bad.

Seeing the four girls, along with Max, start to cry to his words made Ash feel a hint of remorse, but that didn't change what he said. What kind of friends were they if they didn't support his decision to save his own mother?

Brock saw the girls' tear-stained faces, as well as Paul and Professor Oak's lowered heads. That was enough to push him over the edge. He had enough. Without hesitation, he walked with purpose towards Ash, who was currently looking downward, letting his tears soak the dirt and soot beneath his shoes. When a pair of feet entered his line of vision, Ash looked up to see Brock staring at him intently. He couldn't predict what would happened next.

Brock reared back and slapped Ash across the face, causing the boy to flinch in pain and surprise. Paul watched on in worry, not wanting Brock to suffer the same fate as him.

"Don't you ever say something as stupid and imbecilic as that ever again. Not your friends, pfft, what a load of bullshit. You know as well as I do that we are all correct in this. By going after your mother, you might as well be signing your own death warrant..." Brock had finished with more sternness in his voice than anyone present had heard before.

Ash's currently irrational mind was screaming at him to respond, but his mouth wouldn't move; the slap had shocked him to the point of silence. Never had he seen Brock act so forcefully. All he could do was stare.

He met Brock's steely gaze, the man of stone not giving an inch. Ash was trying to look confident, but that slap had really shaken his composure.

"...But, I know it has to be done." Brock said, shocking the group.

"Brock! What are you doing!?" Dawn cried. The chances of Ash dying by doing this mission were extremely high, and Dawn wasn't sure if she could live in a world without him...or would even want to.

The others, save for Oak and Paul, who seemed to side with Brock, were feeling exactly the way Dawn was about the situation. They wanted Delia back as much as anyone, but Ash could die if he went to save her; it's exactly what Team Rocket wants.

Ash's eyes went wide when Brock said this. After the initial reaction, he hadn't expected anyone to be on his side.

His brother in all but blood had just proved him wrong.

"If it was someone I loved, I'd be doing the same thing you are right now." Brock added, seeing the faintest hint of shock on Ash's face.

Ash looked to his other friends, hoping for their approval as well. It looked as if Brock was about to speak again when he was interrupted.

"No Ash! You can't do this!" May tried saying, but she knew there was no changing his mind and as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't blame him.

Ash was now much calmer. After hearing that someone actually took his side, he could relax about as much as anyone could given his current situation.

He walked calmly over to the shaken group of girls and his youngest friend Max before speaking, "I want you all to listen to me, and listen good. I promise that I will come back, alive and well with my mom by my side, and Team Rocket completely destroyed... I just need you all to trust me."

The tear-filled eyes of his friends met his hesitantly. Max was the first to overcome being choked up.

"Do what you gotta do Ash. I'll support you all the way." Max said, trying to sound happy and excited, but failing miserably. His mind was trying to force him to shut up, but his heart wouldn't let him.

Ash smiled sadly at his youngest companion and silently thanked him for his support. Similar thoughts floated through the minds of Ash's female companions. Would Ash be able to do it? Could he survive? Could they trust him?

That last thought is what broke their resolve, as they soon after, one by one, voiced their support for Ash taking on this mission.

What made them change their minds? Simple…they all had full faith in Ash. Full confidence.

Full_ trust_.

Without saying a word, fearing that he would ruin the moment, Ash hugged each woman for as long as he could. Having the support of your closest friends was the best feeling in the world. After struggling out of a hug with Dawn, Ash backed away and shot them a soft smile.

"Thank you all so much. I'm glad you can all understand why I have to do this. I'm going to have to leave first thing in the morning. I need to find her...fast." Ash explained softly, his warm tone returning to his voice.

A smirk grew on Brock's face. "We..."

"What Brock? We?" Ash quizzed the doctor, not knowing what he was talking about, as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. Paul did know however, as he joined Brock with a smirk of his own.

"He said 'we', Ash. As in _we_ are going to get your mom back, together." Paul explained.

Now it was Ash's turn to be too surprised to speak. He didn't know why he was shocked however, he did have the best friends in the world after all.

Now seeing Brock's intentions, the others joined in a chorus of support.

"Yeah! We're with you all the way!" Max yelled. This time, his excitement was completely genuine.

"I can't believe we didn't think of this, of course we're going with you, all of us!" Serena said with growing happiness. No matter how hopeless things looked, at least his friends would be along for the ride.

"You could definitely use a water pokemon master on your journey, don't you think?" Misty said while spinning a pokeball on her finger. It was surprising how the women had turned their emotions a complete 180.

"Ash, you know I would never make you handle this alone." May spoke while smiling.

"I care about you way too much to let you do this on your own." Dawn said, ignoring the rising blush on her cheeks.

Ash should have been ecstatic that his friends would help him one his journey, but he wasn't. The shock wore off after Dawn had finished speaking... and he was terrified.

As said before, he should have known that his friends would want to tag along, but he couldn't let that happen. Not on a journey where even Ash admitted death was a probability.

The internal struggle could be seen on Ash's face, making the others worry that something was wrong. Right then, Ash spoke.

"You guys aren't coming with me." Ash said quietly.

No one caught what he had said, so Brock spoke up, "What did you say, Ash?"

"I said you aren't coming with me, none of you." Ash spoke much louder this time around, making sure his point would get across.

"Ash, what are you talking about?" Dawn asked, concerned that she knew where he was headed with this.

Ash was about to speak, but a slightly angry Paul beat him to the punch, "You better not say what I think you're about to say Ketchum."

Despite Paul's warning, Ash spoke, "I have to do this alone. Team Rocket wants me dead, and if you guys help me, t-there's no telling what could happen to you."

Some of the anger the group held dissolved at Ash's soft tone.

"If something were to happen to any of you I-"Ash's voice broke. "-I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. That's why I'm going alone."

It was all too clear now. Of course Ash didn't want any of them to come. He was just looking out for everyone like always. But this time, if he wasn't careful, his kindness and compassion could get him killed. Without help, that outcome was a damn near certainty.

Ash was looking expectantly at his friends, awaiting some sort of response to his words. Serena slowly walked until she was directly in front of him.

He glanced down at the blonde and noticed her watery eyes. That's when she spoke, "Ash…What you just said, about you not being able to live with yourself if something were to happen, is exactly what each and every one of us is feeling about you. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that if we let you do this alone, _we_ wouldn't be able to live with _ourselves_."

The two continued staring at each other, even after Serena had finished speaking. He wasn't sure what was going on inside him, but despite all things that had just happened, looking into Serena's eyes made him feel…safe.

He was broke out of his gaze when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up from Serena to meet Paul's steely purple eyes. He actually had a sad smile on his face as he spoke. "We just want to help you, man. You changed me from a grade-A asshole into a halfway decent human being. You changed me for the better. I can't thank you enough for that, but I can start by helping you get your mother back."

"Ash, you made me the coordinator and the person that I am today. You helped me with my journey when all I did was slow you down. This is the only way I can think to repay you." Dawn added.

"You are the reason that I left the gym to follow my dream to become the world's best breeder. And although that dream has changed a bit, it doesn't change the fact that you are the best friend I could ever have. I'm with you, whether you like it or not." Brock said with a smile.

"Ash, you literally saved my life. More than once even. Not only that, but you've shaped the person that I am so much, and I turned out pretty great if I do say so myself." May chuckled. "For that, I am eternally grateful. I'm in too."

"Following you around Hoenn and Kanto was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Getting to experience the world like that, even before I was a trainer, was and always will be some of the greatest moments of my life. I may be young, but I'm coming with you to take down Team Rocket and get your mom back!" Max exclaimed.

"You changed my perspective on a lot of things Ash, including myself. I'm forever grateful to get to call you my best friend. I'm coming with you, there's no if's or when's about it." Misty added.

Seeing as everyone else had added, Ash looked down expectantly at Serena, who hadn't moved from her spot in front of him.

Meeting his warm brown eyes, Serena smiled lovingly, "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I will always be there for you Ash Ketchum, no matter what."

Ash couldn't help but smile at what Serena had said, despite the circumstances. That smile quickly faded however, as he began to ponder whether it was a good idea to let his friends come or not.

He came to one conclusion.

No.

It wasn't.

But seeing the determination on all of his friends' faces, he knew that even if he told them to stay, they wouldn't.

Ash took a moment and sighed while taking off his cap and running a hand through his unruly black hair. He then made sure that he had everyone's eyes.

"You guys are stubborn, you know that?" Ash said as he let the sliest of smiles grace his lips.

His words were like music to their ears. Ash was correct in thinking that he wouldn't be able to keep his friends away, as a similar thought was running through each of their heads. No matter what he said, they would have followed him to the ends of the earth.

Smiles were commonplace among everyone at the moment; No one truly realizing how different this adventure would be.

For the first time since he arrived, professor Oak spoke. "As much as I hate that you're going after Team Rocket, I know I can't stop you. Plus, it's may be our only chance to save Delia. We better head back to the lab. Everyone can stay there for the night and you can leave in the morning. We definitely need to rest for the remainder of the day if you plan on leaving tomorrow."

Everyone seemed to be in agreement as they began walking down the road.

The walk to the lab was usually a very peaceful time for Ash. After journeying for so long, he learned to appreciate the beauty of a tranquil walk. This however, were the complete opposite of how he was feeling during this stroll.

Now that everything was settled and he knew he had his friends support, he started thinking on how he would actually go about saving his mother.

It was more than obvious at this point that Team Rocket was willing to kill, and the fact that Ash was the number one target of the organization didn't ease his mind at all.

He tried to convince himself that he wasn't scared. That this adventure would be just like all those before it. But even he couldn't succeed in lying to himself. Truth is, he was scared. Hell, anyone not scared in a situation like this had to be a psychopath.

The gravity of the whole situation was finally hitting him completely. The walk, something he usual enjoyed, instead became a personal hell for him, lost in his thoughts of fear and failure.

He let his mind wander to what they were doing to his mother at that exact moment for the briefest of moments before forcing the horrible thoughts out of his head.

He was beginning to panic and he knew it.

"_Panicking won't help anything. Take deep breaths and calm yourself." _Ash mentally said to himself.

After he calmed down a slight bit, his mind was now open to other things besides fear. This was when he remembered something that his mother had told him back before he started his journey.

Ash was ecstatic to start his journey, of course, but there was also a certain element of fear that came with traveling the world alone at such a young age. He remembered confiding in his mother about his fears, attempting to find safety in her arms.

That was when she said something that has been with Ash ever since.

"_Without fear, there cannot be courage."_

When he recalled those words, it was as if he was ten again, seeking comfort from his mother. These were the words that had gotten him through every life-threatening situation he had encountered before. His many incidents with legendary pokemon were always faced with great courage. Something he could not have if he had not been afraid.

These thoughts had soothed Ash enough to actually begin to enjoy the walk. He was in his own little world, only to be brought out by Pikachu who was resting on his shoulder

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked, worried for his friend. He was spaced out completely and after everything that had just happened, Pikachu didn't want Ash to be thinking too much about it for fear of a mental breakdown.

Ash looked to his partner on his shoulder and gave him a soft smile. "I'm fine buddy, don't worry."

Pikachu was hesitant at first, but after seeing how genuine Ash's smile was, he knew that he wasn't lying.

The group walked for a bit longer in silence until they came across something on the road.

They saw someone, or rather, two someones tiredly walking down the road towards them.

To the group, they were easily recognized.

After all, it wasn't often that you saw a Meowth walking upright. And the signature periwinkle hair and vibrant green eyes easily identified their owner.

It was James and Meowth.

* * *

_Small forests just outside of Pallet Town_

A light drizzle was falling on and off. It was almost like a pleasant mist with how light it was. This seemed to make the journey a bit more pleasant for both James and Meowth, as the usually hot Kanto sun was not beating down on them at the moment.

"Are we almost there Meowth?" James asked. If he was tired, he hid it well. It seemed like he had unlimited energy; they had been walking nonstop for a full day, after all. He attributed his lack of exhaustion to his urgent will to help, something he had never truly felt before.

"Just a little further James. As soon as we get outta this mini forest, we will be in Pallet." Meowth responded while slashing a branch that was in his way with Fury Swipes.

There was a clear cut path through the small forest some ways away from the two ex-rockets, but they had opted not to take it. This was in fear of seeing any other Rocket operatives on said road. They knew that the Rockets were after Ash, and that meant that there would be grunts in his home town for sure. The fear stemmed from the fact that they had no idea who exactly knew that they were no longer part of the organization anymore. And they had a feeling that quitting the _new _Team Rocket would come with disastrous results.

The two continued walking with urgency towards the town of Pallet. Twigs snapped underneath their feet as the continued through the brush. James was about to take another, tedious step when he felt Meowth's pay on his leg, signaling him to stop.

James looked down at Meowth and was about to speak when the cat-scratch pokemon put a finger from hi paw to his lips, signaling for quiet.

The man knew what was up. They had been through this many times while going through Viridian Forest. Meowth's hearing was extra sensitive, so he would warn James if something or someone was around. It was usually nothing, such as a Caterpie or a Wurmple, but other times, it could have quite possibly saved their lives. Especially when they were able to hide from the swarm of Beedrill that Meowth had detected before they waltz into their territory.

James really thought nothing of Meowth's actions and just did as he said. However, when Meowth pulled harshly on his pants, he knew something bad had to be around.

Meowth's pull made James lower to the cat's level, putting him in a crouching position. He knew he was supposed to stay quiet, but he had to know what was out there.

"It's not more Beedrill, is it?" James asked in a light whisper.

Meowth shot him a glare, as if telling him to be quiet when a twig snapped loudly not far from their position. Both man and Pokémon's eyes shot to where they heard the loud crack.

They couldn't quite see what it was yet, but Meowth had heard talking with his sensitive hearing, indicating that these were humans.

Luckily for them both, the spot they were crouched in provided a lot of cover from the direction the sound came from. The trees and the slightly heavy brush would be enough to prevent them from being spotted. This left them only one thing to do…listen.

The sounds of twigs and branches breaking was now easily heard by both as what was now identified as two men started getting closer to James and Meowth. Within moments, they were close enough to where James could hear their conversation.

"I still can't believe everyone else got to go on the helicopter, but we have to walk back to base just because they didn't have enough room! And we can't even take main roads! This is going to take forever!" One of the men complained. By now, the two men were directly in front of the two hidden ex-Rockets. It was now easy for them to see that these men were indeed, members of Team Rocket.

"I know, it's complete bullshit. They never would have been able to pull off blowing up that house or get the hostage without our expertise. Hold on a minute, I need to tie my boot." The other grunt said whilst going to one knee in order to tie his boot.

The position the man was in put him literally eye to eye with James. Luckily, James could only barely see the other man, and it didn't seem like the other man had seen him yet.

He focused on his breathing, taking short, quick breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. For a moment, it seemed as if the two men had locked eyes. James felt his heart sink as he thought he could make out the recognition in the man's face.

"Hey, come over here. I think there's something in this brush." The man said to the other, who complied and knelt next to him.

Both James' and Meowth's hearts sunk. They had to think fast. Luckily, this was somewhat of a specialty of the scratch-cat pokemon.

Throwing caution to the wind, Meowth leapt from his position of relative safety and revealed himself to the two rocket grunts, scaring them half to death in the process.

Both men were breathing heavily after the brief jump scare. After they recovered themselves, they looked to the culprit.

What they saw was your average, ordinary Meowth. Sitting like a good cat would, licking his paw.

"Meowth Meow Meowth!" Meowth said, putting his plan in action.

Both men sighed when they realized they were in no danger. They had both worried that it had been a more dangerous pokemon.

"Stupid cat…" One of the grunts mumbled as he regained his footing.

"Just leave it, we gotta go if we're going to make it to Saffron anytime soon." Said the other man, having regained his footing before his partner.

"Yeah, whatever." The man responded grumpily. "I just can't wait to find out what Giovanni and Ghetsis are going to do to that Ketchum kid."

"I don't know, but you can bet your ass that it's going to be brutal." The second man responded.

"I know, I can't wait until that bastard pays for his crimes against Team Rocket. I've been saying we needed to be more violent all along." The first man added as the two exited hearing distance.

Seeing that the coast was now clear, both Meowth and James let out sighs of relief. James removed himself from the dense brush he was hidden behind once he was sure that the grunts were gone.

"Good thinking Meowth. That was real quick work on your part. You saved our asses back there." James praised the cat pokemon.

"It was nothing. Just a cat doing his thing. Even though it is totally degrading, acting like a total house Meowth." Meowth responded.

The two shared a small laugh at that, something that they were sure would be an oddity in the near future.

Once the giggles had died down, the two friends met each other's gazes as a look of seriousness washed over their faces.

"Those guys, they were definitely coming from Pallet Town." Meowth said.

"And they were talking about them blowing up a house and a," James gulped. "hostage."

"I think it's safe to say we know who that person is…" Meowth added somberly. The hostage they spoke of had to be Ash. After all, who else could it be?

"We need to get to Pallet Town…Now." James said seriously as the two took off running in the direction of the town.

* * *

The whole group had halted at the arrival of the two, and were currently staring at them, confused. James was dressed…differently than they remembered.

James and Meowth were equally as confused. How was Ash here? Wasn't he supposed to be the hostage?

"_If it wasn't him the grunts were talking about, then who did they kidnap?" _Meowth thought with worry.

While the rest of his friends looked on in confusion, Ash didn't see anything to be confused about. All he saw was what he thought were two members of the organization that captured his mother. He clenched his fists as he grit his teeth, literally seething in anger.

James and Meowth both looked relieved to see that everyone was okay, especially Ash. But as their eyes past over the shoulders of the group of friends, they saw the smoldering ashes that used to be Ash's home.

"Oh my Arceus." James said, exasperated.

"Well, at least Ash is-"Meowth started, but was cutoff when James hit the ground with someone on top of him.

Ash saw red.

He snapped.

As soon as James had finished speaking, Ash took off running at full speed and tackled James to the ground. Fists were flying as soon as Ash gathered his position of dominance over James.

Pikachu had rushed along with his trainer, being just as angry. However, as he was about to attack, he realized that Ash wanted to handle this on his own, at least for the time being, so instead, he opted to watch.

He was straddling his chest, making sure he couldn't get away as he began his onslaught. He started off with a set of right and left hooks to James' face.

"You dare show your face here you son of a bitch! Taking my mother wasn't enough for you!? Huh?!" Ash screamed directly into James' face.

James did not respond however. All he could do was look on in just a bit of shock. After years of following him, he had never seen Ash snap like this. The rage and absolute hatred in his eyes could be seen by anyone that would look. James just wished he wasn't the target of this rage.

The rest of the group was too shocked to move at the moment. Ash seemed to have gotten control of himself. They guessed seeing someone associated with Team Rocket made him snap again…not that anyone could really blame him.

The fact that James did not respond just served to anger Ash further. If he wasn't crazy before, he definitely was now.

"I'll kill you! You son of a bitch, I'll fucking kill you!" Ash screamed even louder than before. A feat not thought possible by those around.

It was at this time that people's shock started wearing off, and started realizing what was happening. Hearing Ash say that he was going to kill James made the situation a dire one, as he seemed completely serious by the way he was beating him.

By this time, Ash's fists were constantly flying. He threw flurries of punches to James' face, drawing a lot of blood. One fist in particular, had a certain blue glow around it as it hit James' face harder than all the others. It was safe to assume that his nose was broken, as it had a definite and pronounced crook in it. The blood pouring from it formed an immense puddle on the ground next to his head. This was added to by the large gash that had formed on his forehead, directly above the eyebrow. This sensitive skin was easily broken by Ash's fists.

"Ash! Stop it!" Meowth yelled, seeing his only friend being destroyed in front of his eyes.

Both Paul and Brock were trying to find an opening, a way that they could get Ash off of James without getting hurt themselves in the crossfire. Eventually, the damage being dealt was too great to ignore so, throwing caution to the wind, Brock and Paul rushed in and pulled Ash off of the ex-rocket, both receiving a few punches of their own from the enraged Ash.

"Let me go! I'm finishing this bastard!" Ash yelled at his friends, who were currently dragging him backwards by each arm.

Ash was resisting hard, trying to break the hold of his two friends. He was stronger than both Paul and Brock individually, but together, he was no match.

No realizing that he wouldn't be able to break free from their grasp, he came up with another plan. Before he got too far away from James, he swooshed around all of the saliva in his mouth and spat it on James' face. The ultimate sign of disrespect.

Now that Ash was off of James, they full extent of what Ash had done was evident.

His face was a bloody mess, and that was putting it nicely. His right eye was already nearly swollen shut and blood covered almost the entirety of his face; the very top of his forehead being the only part spared.

Ash had beaten James within an inch of his life.

It was gruesome, and most everyone chose to look away; not only attempting to shield themselves from the bloody James in front of them, but also from the horrifying image of Ash beating him in each person's mind. Sadly, the scene of their best friend nearly killing a man would be cemented in their minds forever.

No one there had seen Ash so angry before. Brock was actually pretty sure he hadn't heard Ash swear the entire time he had known him, and yet here he was, swearing like a sailor while beating some guy to a pulp.

Granted, most everyone understood why Ash had snapped. Hell, any of them probably would have if given the same situation and circumstances. However, this was _Ash_ that had done this. Ash, the kindest, sweetest man that anyone would ever meet had beaten James nearly to death.

None of the girls dared to even look at Ash at the moment out of fear of having their image of him tainted by this…animalistic side of him. May and Serena had already began crying, completely terrified of the situation, and Dawn and Misty weren't far behind.

Max on the other hand, looked just as angry as Ash had ben. Having Ash as a big brother figure for so long had shaped the way that Max acted a lot. It turns out that in times of extreme fury, they reacted similarly.

Seeing that Ash was no longer able to beat James, Max was about to charge in himself. Luckily for the ex-rocket, Professor Oak held him back, preventing any further attacks.

Somehow, James had managed to remain conscious throughout the beating and sat up very slowly.

"I probably deserved some of that, but don't you think that was a bit excessive?" James asked, sounding dazed. He then laid back down, lacking the will to sit up at the moment.

Meowth was standing over his friend looking extremely worried. Ash had beaten James half to death just from seeing him. He knew he had some explaining to do.

He looked back towards Ash and saw a face that he would never forget. The boy had a look of pure hatred on his face. He looked like a wild Tauros about to rampage.

He then saw the same looks of pure hatred on the faces of Pikachu and Max, luckily for him, both were being held back so that they couldn't attack, Max by Oak and Pikachu by Misty, who had gotten control of herself just in time to prevent Pikachu from attacking.

Meowth gulped hard before he began to speak. "Please! Just let me explain!"

Some of the anger radiating from Ash seemed to find its way to the others as many adorned looks of hatred now as well. All except the girls, who were still looking away from the scene, weeping quietly.

"Why should we!? You not only almost killed Ash, but your organization kidnapped his mother!" Paul screamed, feeling the anger coursing through his body.

"That's exactly it! It's not _our_ organization anymore. We both quit right after Jessie shot Ash! You've got to believe me!" Meowth was pleading at this point.

At Meowth's words, the gang was curious if what Meowth had said was true. They had been Rocket grunts for a very long time, so it was kind of hard to believe that they would just leave like that. But something did catch Oak's eye. He had seen enough Team Rocket grunts to know the uniform they all wore, but when he looked to James, he wasn't wearing one.

"Everyone, he might be telling the truth." Oak said calmly, trying to keep everyone as calm as they could be.

"How could you say that professor? These people lie for a living!" Ash exclaimed, to which practically everyone agreed.

"Look, he's not wearing a Team Rocket uniform. He's in normal street clothes." Oak tried to explain, not wanting to see anymore violence.

"No way, that's not enough proof. He probably just took it off to help feed into lie!" Max exclaimed.

"Wait! Don't you guys remember? Right after Jessie shot Ash, James and I tackled Jessie so she couldn't shoot anyone else! That has to mean something. We really had no idea what Jessie was going to do. We had wanted out of Team Rocket for a long time, this new change in Jessie and the organization was just the straw that broke the Camerupt's back." Meowth explained.

Ash scoffed, "Right, like you would-"

Ash was cut off by Brock, "Ash, he's telling the truth. I couldn't be sure, I thought I was just seeing things, but right after you got shot, I glanced towards Jessie, expecting another shot, but Meowth and James subdued her. I swear that's what I saw."

Ash, along with everyone else look to Brock in surprise. If Brock said he believed Meowth, then they did as well. To Ash and many others, Brock was the most trustworthy person he knew; he would never lie to him.

Everyone felt a most of their anger fade away towards the now identified former Rockets. Ash, understandably, held a bit more anger than the others, however. Once Brock and Paul felt that Ash wouldn't jump back on James again, they released his arms. To their relief, he didn't attempt to attack James again; he simply held his ground and stared at Meowth.

Ash took a few frustrated and sporadic breaths before sighed, letting out even more anger. "Okay Meowth, we believe you. You just have to understand that with everything that just happened…"

"I understand, Ash. I probably would have done the same thing if I were you. I'm just glad you got control back before you tried to kill me!" Meowth tried throwing in a bit of humor to lighten the mood. His words however, only reminded everyone of the poor state that James was currently in.

Realizing this along with everyone else, Brock rushed over to James's aid.

"Professor, think you can give me a hand here?" Brock asked as he crouched next to James, who was now unconscious.

Oak nodded and ran over and joined Brock in examining James. No one said anything for a while as they watched James being looked over. Everyone felt bad that it had happened, now knowing that James and Meowth were no longer members of Team Rocket, but Ash felt the most remorse of all. After all, he had been the one to inflict the damage.

"Is he going to be okay professor, Brock?" Ash asked timidly, in a much different tone than before.

Brock sighed before responding, "You did a pretty good number on him Ash. It's a good thing we pulled you off of him when we did. If you would have hit him just a few more times in the right places, he may not have survived."

"His nose is definitely broken and this gash on his forehead will definitely need stitches, but other than that, he should be fine. Just some bruises and swelling." Brock finished

A collective sigh of relief was released, the loudest coming from Ash and Meowth. Hearing the news, the girls had managed to halt their tears. They still didn't dare look at Ash yet, the odd feeling of fear they currently felt towards him making this so.

"Come on everyone, we have to get him to my lab so that we can fix him up properly." Oak said, standing from his crouched position.

Brock looked as if he was going to lift up and carry James, but he was stopped by Ash's hand on his shoulder.

"I got this." Ash spoke seriously. He still felt a great deal of remorse for what he had done, so he wanted to help James in any way that he could.

With James taken care of, the group, including Meowth, began walking to the lab. The long walk left the members a lot of time to think.

Serena's mind was racing a mile a minute. She was just now fully processing everything that had just happened. A lot of it was kind of hazy, her subconscious mind already pushing the traumatic images to the annals of her mind. But one thing was undeniable.

Ash almost killed James.

If it had just been him and James there…she shuddered at the thought of what could have happened.

Seeing Ash snap and attack James like that was terrifying to her, and by the looks of the others around her, it scared them as well.

She knew that traumatic situations could change people. Serena just hoped and prayed that she would never have to see that side of Ash again.

Ash was thinking about what he had done. He was actually scared of himself in that moment. He was scared of losing control, scared that he would do it again. When he thought that James was still a part of Team Rocket, the beating he dished out felt…therapeutic for him, despite the bruised knuckles that were sure to come. It felt like a great justice was being served. Looking back on it however, made him fearful of himself. Of what he could do.

Of what he wanted to do.

The thoughts of the others didn't vary much. What Ash had just done to James was absolutely brutal, and the image of it was burned into their minds forever. Seeing Ash go so…primal was frightening to everyone. The Ash they saw back there was not the same boy they all knew and loved. In that moment, he had changed.

Hatred can do that to a person.

* * *

James started to come to in an unfamiliar place, at a time he did not know. He attempted to open his eyes but was met with a great deal of difficulty and pain. He also had a pounding headache.

"_Oww… W-What happened…?"_ James thought to himself as he writhed in pain.

Taking a moment to let the pain pass, he then attempted to open his eyes again. He was successful in opening his left eye, but his right eye wouldn't open for some reason. It hurt incredibly bad to even attempt to open it, so he opted to just keep it closed.

The lights seemed obnoxiously bright to the man, although he knew it must just be the pounding migraine making him sensitive to it.

He sat up from his rested position in order to get a handle on the situation at hand. All James remembered was rushing toward Pallet Town after seeing the two rocket grunts in the forest.

Now that he had sat up, and the lights didn't seem as bright on his sensitive irises anymore, he looked around the room, attempting to get his bearings.

His gaze was met with rows of machines and seemingly endless shelves of what looked to be scraped projects. He then looked towards himself, seeing a series of patches placed around his bare chest. Confused, he followed the wires that lead from said patches to try to find a source. He didn't know what happened, so he didn't want to be rash and yank the patches off without finding out what they were first. A stark contrast to how he would have acted years ago whilst still in Team Rocket.

It was then that he heard a loud beeping. His eyes were about to leave the trail of wires until he realized that the sound was coming from where the wires were seemingly leading.

Glancing above him and to his left, he saw a heartbeat monitor. There was a steady, rhythmic thumping of a heart, which he could only assume was his.

"_Okay…so I got hurt. But this doesn't look like a hospital."_ James half scoffed, half laughed at his next thought. _"I guess it's a good thing this probably isn't a hospital. Wouldn't want my name on some record somewhere. After what I've done…"_

Getting slightly annoyed with the constant beeping, James ripped the patches off of his chest all at once by yanking on the wires that sprouted from each one.

The machine flat lined, now just a constant, uninterrupted beep was blaring throughout the room. The sound was loud enough to make James' head hurt even more, also furthering to annoy him.

He attempted to focus his mind elsewhere, and that was when he heard what sounded like voices from the room next to him.

Immediately, James went into a small panic. After leaving Team Rocket, he not only had to be careful of the police due to his track record, but no doubt he would need to be on the lookout for other Rockets as well.

His worried thoughts were halted however, as he heard a familiar voice speak in from the other room.

"...So that's what they did? Wow. How overconfident can you get? Being so sure of yourself that you are willing to risk so much just for some sick game."

James immediately recognized the voice as his old buddy Meowth. and he didn't sound alarmed our worried, a very good sign.

"Brock! His heartbeat has stopped!" He heard a mature voice say with urgency. As the statement rolled on, James could tell that the sound of the voices were definitely getting closer to his location.

Not ten seconds later, an old man, whom he recognized as Professor Oak as well as Brock came rushing into his room. These two were followed by the rest of the group, except for a certain raven haired trainer.

As soon as they entered the room, a collective sigh of relief was let out.

"James! You're awake!" Meowth said as he burst from the back of the group and ran up in front of James.

James put on a smile at his friends display of happiness. This was the one good thing he got out of Team Rocket.

A true friend.

Meowth, a usually very proud pokemon, hugged James' leg for a moment before looking up to his face.

"Yep. Just a hurting eye and a massive headache." James then looked to the rest of the group behind the cat. "I see we made it to Pallet Town. What happened to me anyway?"

James' question was met with a bit of confusion, until everyone remember just how much trauma James had suffered. His short-term memory loss was a common thing for people in his situation; whether it be because of brain trauma, or emotional distress, it was all the same.

"You mean you don't remember?" May asked a little fearful of hearing the explanation of what happened again.

"No, but I'm glad to see you realize that we're not members of Team Rocket anymore. Anyway, all I remember is walking to Pallet Town to find and warn-"

"Me."

James was cut off by the newest arrival to the room. Ash. All eyes were on him, as these were the first words he spoke since they had left where the incident occurred, and that was over 3 hours ago. Pikachu held his usal perch on his shoulder, looking to be in a similar state as his trainer.

His eyes were red from the silent tears he had been crying, his Jacket partially covered in blood.

James' blood.

The second that James' eyes met Ash's, everything that happened to him in the last few hours came rushing back into his mind. It played out like a mini-movie. He watched himself as he was beaten mercilessly by Ash. He heard the screaming, the obscenities flying his way.

After everything was replayed and he now remembered, he backed away from Ash in fear. This small action broke Ash's heart even more than it already was. He didn't want anyone to be afraid of him. That's not the kind of person he was. But seeing James shrink in fear, he knew that he was successful in something he wasn't trying to do.

Ash put his hand up in a non-threatening way before speaking, "James, I promise, I'm not going to hurt you. What happened before was a complete misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding? You beat the life out of me!" James seemed to gain a bit of confidence.

Ash looked as if he was going to retort, but he silenced himself quickly, instead opting to sigh. "I know, and I am so sorry for that. I-I don't know what happened. Something in me just…snapped. After everything that's happened, the minute I saw someone I thought associated with Team Rocket, I just lost it."

"Listen James, I am so sorry that I hurt you. I don't expect you to forgive me…" Ash finished solemnly.

James, along with everyone else, listened intently to Ash's words. They were definitely genuine, that much they could tell.

James just continued staring, seemingly through Ash for a few moments as he processed things in his mind.

"Ash." James started, seeming to lose all previous fear he held towards the boy. "I do forgive you. And also…I'm sorry."

To say Ash was shocked was an understatement. He had beaten this man nearly to death not 4 hours earlier, and yet here he was forgiving him. Not only that, but apologizing himself even.

For what?

Now that they knew that James and Meowth weren't part of Team Rocket anymore, what could he possibly be apologizing for?

Seeing the shock and confusing adorning literally everyone's faces, James continued, "I'm sorry for everything me and Meowth have done to you over the years. We tried, for years, to separate you and your best friend."

"I'm also sorry about whatever Team Rocket is doing to you as we speak. Obviously, your house has been…eliminated by the same men that I used to call my associates. I had no idea what Jessie and the organization had planned for you that day, I swear! As soon as I saw that gun, I knew that couldn't be the bad guy. So after everything that I've done to you, I think a little beating is more than justified." James finished while looking at himself in the mirror, for the first time seeing the damage Ash had dished out.

What he saw shocked him. He had a number of stitches above his eyebrow and his right eye was completely swollen shut. He went to touch his face, but retracted his hand when he touched his nose. It was very obviously still broken and out of place.

James then looked back to the room full of new acquaintances. Seeing that they still wouldn't respond, he took the opportunity to speak even further.

"How could I not forgive when the whole reason we came to Pallet Town was to try and help you?" James asked rhetorically before turning serious. "Meowth and I heard something about them taking a hostage, whom I though was you. Care to explain?"

One by one, each person broke out of their short term shock and processed what James had asked. Meowth looked to Ash to see if he would answer. However, he was met with the sight of Ash hanging his head low, obviously saddened by the reminder of the situation at hand.

Knowing that Ash wouldn't respond, Meowth took the reins. After all, they had just spent the last few hours talking about the situation at hand.

"James, I think you should sit down. We have a lot we have to talk about."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for being late with the update, but I had a lot of baseball and school stuff this past week, and I mean a lot! Anyway, Let me know what you think of it in a review! See Ya!**


	9. Fear and Setting Off

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry that this took longer than usual. To be honest, I had free time to write, I just wasn't feeling it at the moment. Speaking of this time, I did something I never thought I would. I watched Anime. Well, anime other than pokemon. Anyway, first I watched Clannad and balled my eyes out. Then, I watched Kanon and balled my eyes out again. I loved every minute of both series. I am the kind of person who loves to _feel_ and the feels in both of those anime were so strong it was amazing. Getting people to feel is one of the main reasons I decided to begin writing. I love when something can get me to cry or feel extreme happiness. Anyway, if anyone knows any anime with romance that are like Kanon or Clannad, then please shoot me a PM or a review and tell me. I am literally craving more exceptional romance anime. Enjoy chapter 9**

* * *

A Trial of Will

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

― L.M. Montgomery

"And that's where we are now. Everyone was actually planning to leave to find Delia tomorrow." Professor Oak finished. He opted to be the one to speak, knowing that it would be difficult for many of the others if they had to.

James had sat, listening intently to the story of what had happened over the course of just a few days. He had been told everything, from what happened immediately after Ash was shot, to right before he was beaten senseless.

James let out a breath he didn't know he was holding the moment Oak finished speaking.

"Wow… That's quite a story. I know that Team Rocket were scum, even when I was in the organization, but I can't believe that they would go that far." James said sadly. Even though he was out of the organization, he couldn't help but feel remorse for ever being a member of such a team.

"You and me both…" Oak sighed just loud enough to be heard.

At this time, the room fell completely silent. Although it was a very uncomfortable silence, no one said anything. James took this moment of silence to look at each person in the room.

His eyes first drifted to Paul, Brock and the Professor were sitting. He remembered each of them individually from all of the times they had met while he was still a part of Team Rocket, and seeing the downcast looks on their faces felt wrong to even him. From what he could tell, this wasn't like them.

He then shifted his gaze to where Misty, May, Dawn and Serena sat on a long 4-person couch. Misty had always seemed hot headed and stronger than any of Ash's other companions, but now, like the rest of the girls, she let a few tears cascade down her face. Hearing the story once again was obviously traumatic for the women. Hell, even James himself felt overwhelmed at all the information that was just thrown his way.

Lastly, he looked toward Ash, who sat with Pikachu in his lap on an old armchair near the corner of the room. The first thing James noticed was the almost desperate look on the rodent's face. The mouse pokemon kept taking glances up at his trainer, hoping that somehow, everything would go back to normal and his best friend would return to normal.

He then looked up at Ash, and he immediately understood why Pikachu looked so upset and concerned. Ash had his head down, his hat casting a shadow over his eyes.

He was motionless, almost to the point where he reminded James of some creepy statue. If it weren't for the shallow rise and fall of his chest, no one could have known if he was even alive

James had 'known' Ash longer than any of the other companions in the room. He knew that this man was always determined and chipper; always happy to help someone. By seeing him so…broken, it motivated James even more.

Having enough of the silence, James stood from his seated position, catching everyone's attention in the process. However, his eyes were only on one person as he spoke.

"Ash, I want you to listen to me." James had hoped Ash would have looked up at him when he was addressed, but instead, he continued to keep his head down, still motionless. James sighed before walking up to the trainer, placing his hands on his shoulders, and bending down to look into his eyes.

Now that they were face to face, Ash had no choice but to look up, revealing his bloodshot and still watery eyes. Again, the hearts of all in attendance broke a bit at seeing the usually strong Ash in such a state.

However, James shook it off and locked eyes with the man.

"Listen to me, I swear on everything that I love, we will get your mother back. I will do everything in my power to help you get to her and take down Team Rocket. With everyone helping, there is no way we can fail. No all we need is our leader. So you need to get out of this funk and show me that determined boy that I chased around for years."

Ash continued staring at James. This man not three days ago was partners with the woman who tried to kill him. However, the look in his eyes, the smile on his face proved to Ash that James was completely genuine.

He looked around the room as he thought to himself.

"_He's right! Sitting here and sulking isn't going to get my mother back! I need to do something!" _Ash's eyes passed over the smiling faces of all his friends as a grin began to widen on his face. "_With everyone's help, there is no way we can fail!"_

After a few moments of thought, Ash stood and redirected his gaze to James, who had since released his grip on him and backed away a couple of steps.

"Thanks James… I mean it, thanks." Ash finished as James nodded happily. "And everyone else, thank you as well. I know that as long as we stick together, we can do this!"

'That's the spirit Ash! You know that we're all behind you 100 percent!' Brock said enthusiastically.

The smile on Ash's face widened at Brock's words. He then saw the smiling faces of all of his friends, James and Meowth included.

He then turned his attention back to James. Ash extended his hand in front of him, hoping for a handshake.

"To a new friendship." Ash said brightly.

James nodded and shook Ash's hand. "To a new friendship."

Both James and Meowth were extremely happy that Ash and company had accepted them. In the past, neither had ever really had any friends. The only ones they could ever count on were each other, but now, they had many friends; friends that they knew they would now go to the ends of the earth for.

"Well, I hate to break up this moment, but we really all should take it easy and get some rest. Especially if we are planning on leaving tomorrow." Paul reminded everyone. It had been a long and tiring day and although it was a bit early, in a time like this it seemed the more rest, the better.

"Wait! We're forgetting something we were supposed to do earlier. I mean look at James, do you notice anything still…wrong about his face?" Meowth exclaimed. He couldn't believe they had forgotten to do something so important for this long.

James panicked as he heard this. "What! What's wrong with my face now?!"

Everyone took a good look at James. At first it seemed fine, but then, Oak noticed something was definitely off.

"Oh dear, how could we have forgotten to do something as important as that?!" Oak said with a sigh to no one in particular.

"Can someone please tell me what is wrong with me?!" James yelled, obviously still freaking out.

"Ah, I see it now. Your right professor. We definitely should have done this when he was still unconscious." Brock then turned to address James. "James, your nose is still out of place, we're going to have to fix it now."

Professor Oak rubbed his head in embarrassment as he spoke, "Hehe, sorry about that. It would have been a lot less painful had you been asleep when we did it, but we kind of…forgot."

At this point, James was fuming, knowing the pain that was sure to come with fixing a broken nose.

"Are you serious!? How could you forget something like that?" James screamed. He was shooting lasers at Brock and Oak, who were both smiling innocently.

Eventually, the anger left James' body and he sighed. "You know what. It's fine. Let's just get this over with."

"Great. You might want to take a seat for this. I would tell you this won't hurt a bit but…I'd be lying." Brock said, putting on rubber gloves as he prepared to fix the nose.

"I think your bedside manner needs some work…" James said dejectedly.

James took a seat on a couch, which was cleared out by Paul, Brock and the Professor, leaving James the only one on the couch. Brock took his position just to the side of James and prepared to begin.

"Alright James, are you ready?" Brock asked.

James sighed once again, "As I'll ever be."

"Okay, then here…we…GO!" Immediately as he said go, Brock yanked and pulled the nose back into place as best he could.

James only had one response.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Man, that hurt worse than the actual beating…" James sighed as he rubbed his nose, which now adorned a cast, whilst looking in the mirror.

"Oh come on James, toughen up." Meowth said with a chuckle.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one that just had his bones rearranged! James spoke aggressively.

"Whatever, let's just get some sleep. We have a long road ahead of us." Meowth remarked, to which James nodded in agreement as they took their places on their cots in their room shared with Brock and Misty.

* * *

It had been a few hours since the procedure had taken place, and everyone was getting settled where they were designated to sleep. The lab had a two open rooms besides Tracey and Oak's own sleeping quarters, so the group members wouldn't have to be totally cramped up next to each other.

Luckily for the group, Oak had a couple of cots and hospital beds for the pokemon if they were to ever get hurt. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was better than the floor.

Speaking of the floor, while everyone else got a cot or a couch to sleep on, Ash opted to sleep on the floor, giving up his couch for May.

It had been about 15 minutes since the lights had been turned out in the room they had been in earlier. The couches were occupied by May and Dawn, and two cots were being used by Serena and Paul.

Ash had been sitting in the dark, staring at the ceiling since the lights had gone out. The only time he would take his eyes from the ceiling was to look at Pikachu, who was happily sleeping near his head. Pikachu had opted to sleep with Ash, even though he could have slept on a couch with someone else as he felt that after today, Ash could use some company.

As Ash heard no noises around him, he assumed that everyone was asleep. Sighing, he attempted to close his eyes and catch some sleep of his own, but his mind has other plans.

His mind kept replaying the day over and over again. He saw his house burned to the ground. He again witnessed Mr. Mime die in his arms. His mother getting kidnapped. Him going berserk…

Ash grunted quietly in frustration as he found no peace, even when he closed his eyes. He knew at that point that trying to sleep at the moment was pointless.

Making sure not to wake up Pikachu, or anyone else for that matter, Ash silently stood from his makeshift bed on the floor. His mind was still racing and he was stressing out badly. He wanted to do something that he hoped would calm himself.

Realizing something that might help, Ash began to walk to the doors of the lab.

"_Maybe if I just watch the stars for a while… That always calms me down." _Ash thought hopefully.

As he left the lab, he felt the refreshing breeze of the outdoors hit his restless body, instantly calming him down slightly. Without ever looking up at the sky, Ash made his way to a large patch of grass just to the right of the lab. Finding a good spot, he sprawled out on the grass and got as comfortable as he could.

Keeping his eyes closed, as to not ruin the reveal of the always beautiful night sky, Ash took deep breaths of the crisp, fresh air that surrounded him.

After a few moments, Ash opened his eyes, hoping to be soothed by the beauty of the heavens above. However, his breathing hitched as he viewed the sky. Seeing what he saw brought the exact opposite of his desired effect.

It was a cloudy night.

It was so cloudy that all of the stars, even the moon were out of view. Ash sighed in defeat as his hopes of calming down were smashed.

He sat up and looked at his surroundings. It was nearly pitch black. Without the stars and moon shining so brightly the world was so…dark.

It felt fitting to Ash. Being in such a dark state with a seemingly hopeless mission ahead of him.

He had been confident when talking to James, but he couldn't help but let uncertainty creep back into his mind.

"_Can we really do this? I really don't want anyone to get hurt." _Ash was thinking horrible thoughts.

"_Especially after what I did today, what if…I hurt someone that I care about. What if…" _

"No." Ash said aloud. He knew the stress was getting to his mind and the disappointment of not seeing the stars had pushed him over the edge. He had to stay positive, or there would be no way in hell that he would succeed.

His face growing determined, he stood to his feet as he planned on returning to the lab and escaping the lightless sky.

Escaping the darkness.

Something he desperately wished to do.

As he turned around to head back to the lab, his expression changed to one of surprise as he saw Dawn standing in front of him. He was able to recognize her as his eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness around him.

Dawn was standing in place, about 15 feet from Ash. Her hands were clasped tightly together by her chest. Ash noticed her face looked somewhat…fearful.

"Dawn? What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

Dawn moved a few steps closer before responding, "Well, uh…I was still up, thinking to myself when I saw you leave the lab. I…was worried about you, so I followed you. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Thanks for worrying about me. It really means a lot that you care so much." Ash said kindly as he approached the woman so that they were only a few feet apart.

Dawn blushed a bit at Ash's kind words, but her sad, fearful expression didn't leave her face. This did not go unnoticed by Ash.

"Dawn, what's wrong?" Ash asked seriously.

Dawn raised her head from its slightly lowered position and put on an obviously fake smile. "Nothing's wrong! I'm perfectly fine, silly!"

Ash held his stoic expression, looking right through Dawn's façade. "Dawn…what's wrong?"

Dawn sighed. She should have known she wouldn't have been able to hide anything from Ash. Not only did he know her too well to not know when she was being truthful or not, but she was also a terrible liar.

"It's just…I-I'm scared Ash. Everything is changing and such horrible things are happening. I just don't know what to do. I'm scared of what's going to happen." Dawn spoke softly, a few tears building up in her eyes.

Seeing the fear Dawn felt, Ash swooped in and hugged Dawn tightly, a hug that was eagerly returned.

Ash stayed silent for a few moments, letting Dawn calm down in his arms before speaking.

"I know Dawn, I'm scared too. Honestly, I'm scared out of my mind. There is no guarantee that everything is going to turn out alright, and that's what scares me the most. But it's okay to be scared. If we weren't scared right now, we wouldn't be human. What we have to do is work past these fears and believe that we are going to be alright. As long as we do that, I truly believe that we will be fine in the end. And I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. No matter what." Ash whispered softly, still holding Dawn close.

Ash felt Dawn loosen up a bit into the hug, something he took as a good sign.

Ash's words had comforted Dawn to an extent, but there was still something floating in her mind. She really didn't want to say it, but she felt she had to be totally truthful with him.

"I-I was scared of you today…" Dawn said almost inaudibly, just loud enough for Ash to hear.

At Dawn's words. Ash immediately released the hug and attempted to hide the hurt look on his face. In all honesty, he expected her and everyone else to be scared of him after what he had done to James. After all, he was even scared of himself.

But no matter what he was expecting, hearing those words hurt him deeply.

Ash sighed sadly as he looked to the ground. "I-I know. I kind of expected you guys to be a little afraid of me after that. I don't know what happened, I just- I snapped. I lost control."

"All of us were scared. Me, May, Serena, Misty, but Ash, it's okay, it's over now and-"Dawn was cut off as Ash looked up at her and spoke.

"Please let me finish Dawn." Ash's tone wasn't aggressive or demanding, but Dawn felt the seriousness that his soft voice carried at the moment.

"I am truly sorry and remorseful for what I did. And most importantly, I'm sorry for scaring you. The last thing I want is for you, or any of my friends to be afraid of me. But-"

Ash met Dawn's watery eyes and sighed.

"But I can't promise it won't happen again."

Dawn was shocked by Ash's words. After that whole apology, that's what he ended with? Dawn wasn't mad at this, more so confused.

"Ash how…how can you say that. I don't-'

Ash put his hand up. "Dawn, you have to understand. My mother is in danger and now, so are all of you. I will do anything, and I mean anything, to make sure that everyone stays safe. And if that means something has to happen like what happened today, then so be it. Because I will not let anything happen to you or anyone else. That's a promise."

By the time Ash had finished, Tears had welled up in his eyes, his expression remaining serious.

Dawn's mouth was slightly agape. Everything that Ash just said was running through her mind. As much as she hated to admit it, she could understand why Ash said it could happen again. His mother is in danger and he was going to do anything to get her back.

However, what really made her understand was what Ash said about protecting everyone. He had always been the kind of person to put others before himself, and this situation was no different. If saving her meant someone had to die, then he would do it, no matter how he, or anyone else felt about it afterward.

Their gazes were locked intensely for a few moments. Ash now had a few tears falling down his face, but his serious expression still intact. And at this point, Dawn herself let a few tears fall.

"_How could I ever be afraid of him? I love him more than anything in the world. I know he would never hurt me… He would do anything for me." _Dawn thought to herself as a small smile formed through her tears.

Without any hesitation, Dawn captured Ash in another hug. She had the strongest desire to kiss him at that moment, but she knew that it was definitely not the time or place to do that. Instead, she opted to cry and smile into Ash's broad chest.

Ash returned the hug immediately. He could always read Dawn and know what she was thinking, and he was comforted by what he saw. She now understood that she never had to be afraid of him. That he would always be there to protect her, not hurt her.

Ash stroked her soft blue hair as he held her in his arms.

"Promise me that you'll never be afraid of me. No matter what happens, I want you to know that I will always be there to protect you." Ash whispered softly.

Without any hesitation, Dawn nodded her head vigorously into his chest.

Dawn response was muffled, but was till audible "I promise. I trust you. I lo-"

She had almost confessed right then and there. She felt so secure, so safe in Ash's arms. But no matter how badly she wanted to tell him how she felt, she knew that telling him at the moment would only complicate things further for him.

Luckily for her, Ash either hadn't heard her almost say she loved him, or he simply chose to ignore it. She truly hopped it was the former. Either way, she was just happy to be with Ash in that moment.

After what felt like an eternity, the two released. Both faces were now devoid of tears and held large smiles.

"Come on, we better head back. We really need to try and get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us." Ash said calmly.

"You're right. But as long as I'm with you, I'm not scared at all. I know that you'll be there for me." Dawn responded sweetly, causing Ash to blush slightly and smile even wider.

Ash offered his hand to the blunette, to which she happily took. The two then started the short walk back to the lab.

As the two reached the door, Ash stopped just outside.

Dawn was still holding his hand when she looked back at Ash, wondering why he had stopped.

"Go on ahead Dawn, I'm right behind you." Ash stated kindly.

Dawn was a little hesitant to let go of his hand at first, but eventually nodded and entered the lab.

Ash sighed once Dawn was inside as he held the door Handel with his left hand. However, instead of opening the door and following Dawn inside, he turned his head and looked toward the sky once more.

To his delight, the clouds had cleared a bit, revealing to Ash a single star in the otherwise pitch black sky.

A grin spread on his face as he saw it.

"_Just that one glimmer of hope, that's all I need."_ Ash thought as he entered the lab, hoping to get some rest.

"_That one light in the darkness."_

* * *

Morning came quicker than anyone had hoped. Despite their confidence and trust in each other, the prospect of actually doing what they were planning to was terrifying for all.

To no one's surprise, Ash was the first awaken. However, instead of training this morning, he had another thing on his mind.

Carefully and quietly, he took care of his morning routine, well, as much as he could in a lab, and left through the back doors, with Pikachu following along as eagerly as he could.

Ash was headed to the ranch. Throughout all of the craziness of the previous day, no one had remembered to tell the all of the pokemon what had happened.

Ash hated the fact that he would have to speak of the events again, but he knew it was necessary. After all, his pokemon were a part of his family just as much as his mother was. They had a right to know.

As he entered the ranch, a small smile grew on his face. All of his pokemon, even Snorlax, were already awake and preparing to train. It wasn't later than 6:30 in the morning, yet her everyone was, rearing and ready to go.

Lucario was the first to sense Ash, so he informed the others that their trainer was here. Letting out cries of happiness, all of his pokemon came rushing in front of him.

Luckily for Ash, his pokemon had assumed he was coming today, so they spared him from another stampeding. However, that didn't stop his more affectionate pokemon from attempting to rush in close to him.

Bayleef was in a dead sprint, a smile on her face as she rushed to her trainer. However, she halted immediately when she saw the distressed look on his face. It was easy to tell that something was wrong, so Bayleef decided to take it slow.

Ash, along with all of the other pokemon, noticed Bayleef's strange behavior and wondered what was wrong. Their questions were answered when the rest of the pokemon saw Ash's expression.

Ash took a long, drawn out breath before addressing everyone, "Hey guys! How's everyone doing?"

Ash tried to show excitement and happiness, but he knew he had failed when he got no response from anyone. He saw the worried expressions on all of his Pokémon's faces and knew that there was no point in trying to hide anything.

He sighed, "You guys know me too well. I'm sure you all want to know what's wrong, huh?"

Receiving a number of head nods, Ash continued, "It's a long story, but I guess we have time."

Ash sat down and crossed his legs, getting as comfortable as he could before he began telling the painful story.

He left nothing out. He recalled every little detail from what had happened the previous day. It was burned into his mind.

The shocked and sad faces of his pokemon friends were almost too much for Ash to handle, but he wanted to stay strong for his friends, pokemon and human alike.

He sighed before concluding his story, "And that's that. We'll be leaving in just a few hours. I told you all this not only because you have a right to know, but also because I'm going to need your help, all of you. I need a team that is going to help me get my mom back and protect my friends from any danger we may face."

Ash was going to continue, but was stopped when his pokemon all stepped closer to him, each looking confident.

All Ash could do was smile. He should have known that all of his pokemon would want to come with him and help with the situation. Even still, it warmed his heart to see how much they cared.

"I know that you all want to help, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. I'm going to take a team of six, but I need all of you to be ready whenever I may call on you. If this is going to be as challenging as I think it will be, I'm going to need all of your help. Are you with me?" Ash finished with his fist raised in the air, and a confident smile on his face.

Even though it was still very early, and Ash would probably be scolded for waking up half of Pallet Town, he loved just how loud and enthusiastic his Pokémon's cries were. It really showed how close they were to their trainer.

"Thanks everyone. But you all need to understand, this is going to be like nothing we have ever done before. The danger is very real and we need to make sure that we are extremely careful. As you know, Team Rocket is toying with me, trying to kill me, but we have no choice but to go after my mom. And even though it may not be easy, I know that with everyone's help, we will make it out alright!" Ash said enthusiastically.

Even though everyone was already fired up, Ash thought that a little speech would raise their spirits even higher. Something that would be desperately needed as the journey went on.

Ash was contently looking at his pokemon, deciding on who to take with him when he heard a loud, familiar voice.

"ASH KETCHUM! YOU WOKE UP EVERYONE YOU IDIOT! YOU ARE SO GOING TO GET IT! Ash gulped in fear as he turned and saw the person he was expecting to see.

Misty.

Misty was surrounded by the others, each of them looking exhausted.

Misty stormed from the group until she was in Ash's face. All he could do was sweat and wait to see what his punishment would be.

Hoping to cool Misty down, Ash put his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry! I was just trying to hype up my pokemon for the journey. Please forgive me."

Much to Ash's surprise and delight, the anger melted away from Misty's face and turned into a sweet, understanding smile.

Ash smiled back in response, glad to have defused the situation. "_Wow, it seems like Misty really has chang-"_

***_Smack*_**

Out of seemingly nowhere, Misty pulled out her familiar mallet and whacked Ash on the head with it, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You still have that thing I see…" Ash said, sounding completely dazed.

Misty scoffed, "You're such and idiot!'

"But you're our idiot." Misty finished by approaching Ash and ruffling his hair with an innocent smile. Again, Ash was confused.

"_How do girls change their emotions so quickly? And where does she even keep that thing? I mean, it's huge!" _Ash thought to himself. He was tempted to ask, but decided not to push his luck.

Regaining his composure, Ash stood and watched as Misty walked back to the group that was huddled by the door.

"Uh…don't you think that was a bit much?" Serena asked the redhead, feeling bad for the trainer. Even though he woke everyone up, she knew it was an accident.

"Nah, Ash is pretty thick headed. He'll be fine." Misty said, walking through the doors and entering the lab.

Everyone but Ash giggled at Misty's words. Ash was obviously thick headed not only physically, but mentally as well.

"You guys should get some more sleep before we have to leave." Ash yelled over to his friends after regain his composure. Everyone happily complied to this request.

However, May stayed behind and addressed Ash, "What about you? I think you should get some more sleep as well."

Ash shook his head with a smile gracing his features, "Nah, I'm fine. I got plenty of sleep last night, you go on ahead."

May was hesitant at first, but eventually shrugged and headed inside.

Ash yawned once she was out of sight. Truth is, he was tired. He hadn't slept more than a wink the previous night.

He couldn't.

Too much on his mind.

* * *

Ash thought long and hard about who he was going to take with him to start. Pikachu was his obvious first choice, but that still left five spots open.

Although some of his pokemon were noticeably stronger than others, Ash had faith in each and every one of them. Each pokemon had areas where they could definitely help him out during the journey.

After thinking hard, Ash came to a decision. After all, it wasn't like he couldn't switch out pokemon if he needed to.

He decided to bring along a few heavy hitters in Garchomp and Charizard, as well as some speed in Lucario and Sceptile. That left one spot open for him, however. He was subconsciously bringing the pokemon he considered his strongest for his start. After all, he had no idea how tough this was going to be, and you know what they say, it's better to be over prepared than under.

He gave all of his pokemon another once over and tried to think of who could help him the most. His eyes stopped on his flying—type pokemon. They were all there, Swellow, Noctowel, Staraptor, Unfezant, and…

That's when Ash realized he knew exactly who he was going to take as his last pokemon. But to do so, he have to take a quick trip to route 1…

_Route 1_

Ash and Pikachu hadn't been walking long, only about 10 minutes or so and he soon reached a familiar clearing. He glanced around, attempting to spot his old friend.

"You see her buddy?" Ash asked the yellow rodent, who was scurrying down by his feet.

Pikachu took another couple of seconds to gaze at the tree line before he turned to face Ash and shook his head.

Ash began searching again, a slightly worried expression on his face.

He didn't want to admit it, but Ash was nervous about seeing this pokemon again. After all, he had promised to come back for her someday, and that had been eight years ago.

That's not saying that Ash didn't try to get her back, it just always seemed when he would come back for her, she couldn't be found.

Ash sighed, desperately hoping that one particular pokemon would show herself.

Ash took a deep breath, "PIGEOT!"

Ash had yelled her name so long and loud, that he was gasping for breath when he finished.

He silently prayed to Arceus that Pidgeot would show herself. That she was around.

That she was still willing to see him.

Ash and Pikachu waited patiently for 10 minutes with no sign of Pidgeot. By this point, Ash was looking extremely discouraged.

Noticing this, Pikachu jumped in front of the now seated Ash and put on a huge, reassuring smile. Pikachu soon discovered just how sad Ash was when his cheeky smile had no effect on his trainer.

Ash had rationalized that Pidgeot most likely didn't want to see him anymore. Not that he blamed her. He did leave her for eight years.

Taking one more look at the tree line, Ash stood to his feet, dropped his head and began walking back to Pallet. Pikachu attempted to grab his pant leg to stop him, but Ash had officially given up.

The idea that one of his old friends didn't seem to want to see him anymore hit him hard, and he went as far as to let a few rouge tears fall from his eyes.

Pikachu and Ash were nearly at the end of route 1, but they never did make it.

"Pidgeot!" A loud voice exclaimed from above. Soon after, the owner of said voice landed directly in front of Ash and Pikachu, stopping them in their tracks.

Both Ash and Pikachu's eyes went wide when the recognized the large, powerful looking bird pokemon. Even though Pikachu tried to stay positive, he was feeling a bit down that Pidgeot didn't come as well, so seeing her here was a shock to him as well as Ash.

"Pidgeot…" Ash whispered. They were locked in an intense staring match until a huge smile broke out on Ash's face.

"Pidgeot!" Ash screamed as he ran and hugged the bird with all he had.

"Pidgeot, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry that we haven't seen each other for so long! I tried coming to find you a few years ago, but you were nowhere to be found! Oh Pidgeot, I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me?" Ash looked Pidgeot in the eyes when he finished, hoping to get a read on the bird.

What he saw brought a smile to his face. Pidgeot was smiling wide and it showed in her eyes. Ash then enveloped the pokemon in another bone-crushing hug.

Now that the two friends had been reunited, Ash knew that he had to get down to business. He backed away from Pidgeot and turned completely serious.

"Pidgeot, there's something I need to tell you."

_15 minutes later_

"...and know we're all going after her. We don't really have a choice. Listen, I know that you have another life out here with the flock and all, but I would really love it if you came back as my pokemon and accompanied me on this journey."

"I do feel that I should tell you though before you make a decision, there is no telling what might happen. Team rocket is trying to kill me and anyone with me is in danger as well. I want you to do what you want to do so please, don't feel pressured." Ash finished with a sincere smile, taking out Pidgeot's old ball from his belt and enlarging it.

Pidgeot was conflicted to say the least. She desperately wanted to be with Ash, especially in a time like this, but she also didn't want to leave her flock. That was understanding as these pokemon had been her family for the past eight years; most of them she protected like children.

Seeing the conflicted look on Pidgeot's face, Ash felt bad for even asking. He was putting a lot of pressure on her, and he knew it. He let his own selfish desire to have Pidgeot back blind him to how Pidgeot may feel.

As was about to speak when many Pidgeot, Pidgeotto, and Pidgys all started descending from the sky and landing in the clearing around Pidgeot, Ash and Pikachu.

"What is this?" Ash asked himself. He was slightly worried at first, but when he saw the look of familiarity of his own Pidgeot's face, he knew it must be her flock.

"Pidg, Pidgeot!" One of the Pidgeot said.

"Pidgeot. Pidg Pidge." Ash's Pidgeot responded.

This back and forth went on for a while, with other Pidgeot and Pidgeotto joining in as well. Ash had no idea what they were saying, but Pikachu did.

"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu added in. He was obviously talking to Ash's Pidgeot and it was at this point that Ash got an idea of what they were talking about.

"_They're trying to tell her to come with me...That they'll be fine on their own." _Ash rationalized to himself. He didn't want to interrupt, so all he did was smile at his old friend.

Pidgeot was listening closely to what each pokemon had to say, and all were along the lines of 'go with him.', 'we know you want to, and it's okay!'

Pidgeot took one last look at his flock and gave them a gracious smile before she approached Ash. They were soon face to face and before Ash could say anything, Pidgeot pecked the center of his pokeball. Becoming engulfed in a red beam of energy, Pidgeot was once again Ash's pokemon.

Ash brought the pokeball close to his face, "Welcome back girl."

he then turned his attention to the rest of the flock, "Thank you all so much for being with her all this time. And thank you for letting her come with me, it means more than you know. I promise to make sure Pidgeot can come and visit every once in a while." Ash finished sincerely. He was truly grateful.

The largest Pidgeot, besides Ash's, took a step towards Ash. The two locked eyes and simply stared for a few moments, until the large Pidgeot bowed his head in respect and took to the skies, followed by the rest of the flock right after.

Both Ash and Pikachu watched the flying pokemon until they were out of sight. Still looking at the morning sky, Ash spoke, "That's why I love pokemon. There is nothing in this word more pure. Come on buddy, we better get bake to the lab, we need to prepare if we are going to leave in a few hours."

With that, both Pikachu and Ash took off running back towards Pallet Town

* * *

It was now 10 A.M, and each person in the lab was now awake and preparing what they could for their journey. Since the Ketchum household was burned to the ground, a lot of everyone's things were destroyed as well. But luckily for everyone, Professor Oak had a lot of the essentials laying around his lab, and he was more than willing to part with them.

"Hey guys, thanks again for helping me with this. I really wasn't sure how I was going to do this alone." Ash said, completely out of the blue.

"Ash, we've been over this before, you don't have to thank us. We're doing this because we want to help you, not because we feel obligated to." Brock responded.

"We're always there for you...just like you always have been for us." May added, smiling to herself.

"Yeah Ketchum, you know we've got your back." Paul said.

All of these comments reassured Ash of his friendship to each and every person in that room, but also injected more worry into him. They were going to help him through this, no matter what the cost.

No matter what the cost.

That's what scared him.

Taking a deep breath, he finished packing everything he thought he would need in his backpack and threw it on his shoulders.

"Is everyone ready?" Ash asked.

"Just about." Serena responded. "Dawn's just finishing up and she's the last one not done."

"No need to worry! I just finished! We're good to go." Dawn stated in her normal, bubbly tone.

"James, Meowth, you guys good!" Ash asked.

Meowth smiled and stuck out his paw, trying to show a thumbs up pose, "You bet pal!"

Just as Meowth finished speaking, Professor Oak entered the room, with Tracey following close behind.

"Alright, is everyone ready to go?" Oak asked, to which he received a multitude of head nods.

It was just then when Max noticed the backpack over Tracey's shoulders, which could only mean one thing.

"Tracey, are you coming with us?" Max quizzed, to which Tracey nodded. Everyone else eventually noticed that Tracey was 'travel ready' as well.

"Of course! I can't just sit back and do nothing when my friends need my help. I know I'm just a pokemon watcher and researcher in training, but I know that I can contribute to the effort!" Tracey finished confidently.

Ash approached the man and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's great to have you Tracey. Thanks a lot."

Tracey smiled and went over to join the rest of the group, leaving Oak the only one standing in front of everyone.

"Professor, are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" Brock asked out of concern for the older man's well being.

Oak let out a hearty laugh, "Of course my boy. I'll be fine. But I'll be even better when you all return home." he then turned his attention to Ash once again. "Oh, and Ash my boy, this is for you."

Oak handed Ash something that vaguely resembled the original pokedex, but was black in color. "This, is the latest invention from the Silph Company, before they were taken over of course. It hasn't even been announced yet, let alone released. It works like a portable video phone! However, it is only programed to call me at the moment, as it is still in its infant stages."

"Wow, that's incredible professor! I wonder why no one thought of this sooner. But, how did you get one of these if they weren't even released to the public.?" Ash inquired.

Oak grinned at Ash's question, "Well, a few select professor got a few early copies to see if they could better the product. Although we are professors of pokemon, most of us are also very adept with electronics as well."

"Wow, that is so cool! When we get back, I totally want to see how they work!" Max exclaimed, as May face palmed. It was just like her brother to get so excited over something so nerdy.

Ash placed the device in his jacket pocket and turned to address the group, "Well, if we have everything, we better get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can save my mother and get back home!"

A series of enthusiastic 'Yeah's' and 'let's do it's' came from the group of friends as they said their goodbyes to the professor and walked out the doors to the lab.

As they walked down the road, each of them were thinking the same thing.

"_Whatever happens, our lives are going to change forever."_

* * *

_One of Team Rocket's Headquarters_

Jessie was walking down through the upper floors of the building with a goal in mind. She soon found herself where she wanted to be. She knocked on the large oak door and entered the Giovanni's office, not bothering to wait for a response.

Immediately as she entered, Giovanni took notice of Jessie. "Ah, Jessie. What a pleasant surprise. What can I help you with."

After her initial successes in their current plan, Giovanni had come to like Jessie's work ethic and determination, something he thought was overshadowed by the stupidity of James and Meowth.

"Well sir, I was just curious as to why you're sending so many field agents out. I mean, by dispersing them the way you are, it will be like a trail that will lead Ketchum right to us. I understand that is your plan, but I heard that you gave them all clearance to use deadly force. I guess what I'm trying to ask is why? I thought you wanted to take care of the twerp yourself now."

"Ah Jessie, I very much do want to take care of Ash myself, but where would be the fun in just letting him find us without a little challenge?" Giovanni said with a chilling grin.

"But what if he is killed before he can find this place?" Jessie inquired.

Giovanni shrugged, "Then so be it. It would be a bit unfortunate, but as long as Ketchum dies, I couldn't care less." Giovanni paused and locked eyes with Jessie, "Plus, I think you should give Ash a little credit. He's much stronger than you think and I truly think that he will make it here in one piece, so I can take care of him myself. But for now, we wait and see what happens. Now if you'd excuse me, I'm going to go have a bit of 'fun' with our guest."

With a sinister smile that even spooked Jessie, Giovanni took his leave. Leaving Jessie alone in the magnificent office. She thought over Giovanni's plan and how wicked and cruel it was...

...all she could do was smirk.

**A/N: Well there you have it! There's chapter 9. Next chapter,, the action really starts! Oh and by the way, I should probably mention that there is a chance that any character, main or not, can die in this fic. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's what I plan on doing. Anyways, you won't have to wait so long for the next chapter, I promise. And wow, I just realized how long this story is going to be. We're probably talking close to 300,000 words in the end. Make sure to vote in the poll on my profile for who you want Ash to chose and don't forget to leave me Anime suggestions that involve romance, harems, and FEELS! Thanks for reading, see ya!**


	10. New People and New Problems

A Trial of Will

* * *

"Believe in finding your purpose in life and doing whatever it takes to fulfill it."

-Unknown

* * *

"Hey guys? Um, this may be a stupid question but...does anyone know where we're going...? Brock?" May asked, causing everyone to sweat drop.

After traveling for a few hours, the gang finally entered Viridian forest. So far, nothing had interfered with their journey, something they hoped would continue.

"Actually no, I was just following everyone else." Brock said innocently.

"Brock! Aren't you supposed to be the responsible one! How could you let us leave without even knowing where we were going!?" Paul yelled at the doctor.

Brock put a hand behind his head and smiled innocently, "Hehe... with all that was going on, I guess I just kind of forgot."

Although Paul was still a little agitated, it was hard to argue with Brock's excuse. After everything that had happened, Paul's head wasn't totally in the game either.

"Well, going through Viridian Forest is the only way out of Pallet anyway, if you don't have a boat or surf that is. So no matter where we're going, we would have had to come this way anyway." Ash reminded Paul.

"That may be true, but now we're about to enter the forest. We shouldn't go another step before deciding where we are going because if we don't, we're going to be wandering around blind." Paul said firmly.

"We've been walking for a while anyway, I wouldn't mind stopping for a while. While we're resting, we can also figure out where our destination should be and also get some lunch." May suggested. She tried to suggest this sounding chipper, but the fatigue she felt after walking for nearly three hours was evident in her voice.

"I second that." Dawn said, not even trying to hide how tired she was.

"Come on guys, we have to keep going! We haven't even entered the forest yet. We have to get as far as we possibly can today!" Ash exclaimed.

"It's your fault we're tired anyway! If you wouldn't have sprinted the first two miles, then maybe we all wouldn't be this tired!" Misty yelled back.

Misty looked as if she was about to explode, and Ash was looking no better. Not wanting to see that happen, Serena placed herself in between the two.

"Ash, we need to rest for a while. Everyone's tired and hungry after that long walk. Everyone has to keep their strength up for this." Serena reasoned.

Ash looked around at the slightly tired faces of his friends, and sighed in a mixture of defeat and guilt.

"I'm sorry you guys, I know I pushed too hard and I'm sorry. I'm just really anxious. I feel that if I don't get to my mom as soon as possible, something terrible is going to happen. But you're all right, we have to keep our strength up. There's no telling what we might face." Ash finished, taking a seat on a nearby stump, just off the path leading into Viridian Forest.

Both May and Misty looked guilty themselves. They didn't know if it was their subconscious pushing it from their minds, or if they simply chose to ignore it, but neither remembered the severity this journey entailed.

"You don't have to apologize Ash. After all, not to put more pressure on you, but this is the most important journey you or any of us have ever been on. You just want to help someone you love as quickly as possible, just like always." May finished with a smile that infectiously found its way to Ash's face as well.

"I'm sorry for screaming at you Ash. I guess I pushed the severity of the situation out of my mind because I was scared. It's just so much easier to treat this like it was just another journey. Collecting badges, training pokemon, all the stuff we did before. It was a way for me to cope." Misty said.

At this point, everyone had either found a seat on the ground or another stump to sit on as Brock began laying down the base for a fire.

Dawn gave a light laugh, "Yeah, on our way here it did kind of feel like I was just on another adventure with you Ash. Despite the circumstances, I'm really glad that we get to travel together again. I really wish I would have never stopped traveling with you in the first place Ash."

Ash couldn't help but let his smile grow. Having the support of all his friends during such a trying time was a great feeling. He was about to speak before he was beaten to the punch by May.

"Ever since I left for Johto after the Battle Frontier, I regretted ever leaving your side. From that time on, something was always missing. Winning a contest didn't give me the same joy as when you were there. And losing was so much harder without you there to cheer me up. Instead, all I had were people like Drew and Harley who would constantly put me down. That year, I didn't even make it to the Grand Festival because coordinating didn't give me the same joy."

May paused to take a breath.

"But after Johto, I finally got my spark back. That only happened because of this," May said this as she pulled out the necklace that held the terracotta ribbon from under her blouse, "With this, it felt as if you were actually there with me, something it turns out I desperately need.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...this time, I'm not going to leave your side."

"Seems like the only person who had enough sense not to leave was Serena. She's been with Ash ever since they met up." Paul added, sounding somewhat smug. Although Paul loved to tease her, he decided to help get her a few points with Ash. She was still a friend to him after all.

"You're right, she hasn't." Ash spoke softly with a warm smile as he glanced at Serena who in turn blushed and quickly looked away.

"Well you guys, I'm glad to have you all back by my side. Even though our paths took us in different directions before, I'm more than happy that we're all together again." Ash added sweetly, making sure he looked to each of his past companions.

Ash's words couldn't have been more true. Even though he always held his head high, he was always deeply saddened when one of his friends would go their own way. When they left, they would take a part of Ash with them, a part that could only be refilled by their presence. So despite the circumstances, having everybody back again was a great feeling.

"I hate to break up this sentimental moment, but the stew is about ready." Brock said cheerfully. During that whole conversation, Brock and Max had been working hard starting the fire and beginning to cook the stew. A deed that was greatly appreciated by everyone.

One glance at the stew was all it took for May and Ash to start drooling. May was starving and Ash was as well, he just hadn't realized it as his one track mind was fully concentrated at the goal on hand.

"Is that..." May started.

"Brock's no-chew stew?" Ash finished growing happier with each word.

Brock smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Yep, it sure is. It's a great meal, especially for trave-"

Brock was interrupted by Ash and May diving for the stew and placing massive serving into their bowls.

Brock saw the crazy look in their eyes, so he stayed back. Although, he felt he should warn them about something, "Be careful now, it's going to be-"

"HOT!"

* * *

About an hour later, everyone had finished their lunch and felt well-rested enough to get back to their travels.

All were ready to leave, that is, all but two.

"Come on guys, hurry up. I want to get through the forest before nightfall!" Paul yelled angrily.

"Yeah, and we have to make it to Saffron as quickly as possible, remember?" James reminded the duo.

During their lunch, it was decided that the first destination would be Saffron City. It seemed to be the best place to aim for as the Silph Co. had just recently been taken over by Team Rocket, meaning there was a chance that Delia could be there. Also, the towns the would pass through along the way such as Pewter and Vermilion would be looked into as well.

Both Ash and May were currently holding ice cubes on their tongues, courtesy of Glaceon, who was currently standing beside Pikachu, who was still laughing at his trainer for being so rash.

"Thanks Glaceon. You're the best," is what May was trying to say, but with the large ice cube covering her tongue, it was very difficult to make out what she was saying.

Glaceon must have assumed it was some sort of thanks as she bowed her head and smiled at her trainer.

"You both have been holding ice on your mouth for nearly 20 minutes now. We need to get going. Ash, I thought you were the one who didn't want to stop in the first place!" Misty exclaimed.

Ash let his mind wander from his injured tongue back to the actual task at hand. Realizing that Misty was right, he stood up. Rather than trying to respond and sounding ridiculous like May had, he opted to just nod his head.

Soon after Ash stood, May did as well. Finally removing the ice from their mouth's, Ash spoke, "Well gys, lepth's get goin!"

Everyone burst out laughing as Ash spoke. He sounded even worse than May had when she still had the ice in her mouth. Ash learned the hard way that his tongue was completely numb. And talking without a tongue was pretty damn hard.

After the laughing began to die down, Brock approached both Ash and May, and gave them both some lukewarm water to warm up their mouths to where they could speak clearly.

"Better?" Brock inquired.

"Better!" Both Ash and May responded at the same time, finally sounding like themselves again. They looked to each other after they spoke. They shared a smile over speaking at the same time.

This must have gone on for longer than they intended because Misty got impatient, "Would you two stop staring at each other so we can get a move on? I swear if we are in this forest at nightfall, someone's is going to feel my wrath!"

Misty's threat seemed to go unnoticed by the two as their only focus was on their current embarrassment. Both were blushing as Ash ran ahead of the group as to lead them into the forest.

"Come on guys, I know this forest like the back of my hand!" Ash yelled cheerfully.

Ash then confidently began his march into the darkness that was Viridian Forest.

Everyone else looked at each other, knowing full well that Ash's sense of direction was...poor. Trying to show a little confidence in his friend, Brock took of after him. He was then followed by the rest of the group into what would be their darkest time in that forest yet.

_10 minutes later_

Ash hit his knees as all the confidence he previously felt in himself vanished. All he could do was watch his surroundings with disbelief. How could something like this have happened? That was a question that he did not have the answer to.

Ash was lost.

"Guys I'm sorry. I've always been lousy at directions and shouldn't have gotten so ahead of myself. Now we're lost and have no idea where we are." Ash sulked.

"Hey don't worry about it Ash, that's why we have Brock with us!" Paul said.

"Is that all I am? Your 'tour guide?'" Brock responded, half-joking.

"Of course not..." Paul said seriously, causing Brock to smile. "You're our chef as well."

Brock sweat dropped as Paul finished his sentence, causing everyone else to giggle.

Brock recovered quickly and pulled a map from his backpack, "It may have been said poorly, but I'm fairly sure that I know where we are. So leave the directions to me!"

Ash finally regained his hopeful outlook and was ready to follow Brock's lead. At this time however, the others were starting to feel a bit nervous. In a few hours, night would come, leaving them shrouded in darkness in a very dangerous part of Kanto.

Seeing that uneasiness, Brock took it upon himself to comfort everyone, "Don't worry you guys, I know my way around here pretty well. I'll have us out by nighttime, no problem!"

Brock's reassuring words granted the group some level of comfort, but a hint of uneasiness remained.

Without another word, the gang began following Brock's lead. They were very fortunate to not have run into any swarms of Beedrill, as it was widely known that they were both common here and very deadly.

Although most pokemon were very docile unless provoked, species such as Beedrill and Spearow have been known to attack while unprovoked, causing quite a few deaths over the years.

As they continued walking along, May was striking up a conversation with Ash while Dawn and Serena followed close behind, looking for any opportunity to jump in to the conversation.

"...Yeah, and then we got chased out of here by a huge swarm of Beedrill." May explained to Ash, who went wide eyed.

"Thank God you two got out okay. I've heard too many stories about wild Beedrill..." Ash said somberly.

Not seeing any point where she could easily jump into the conversation, Serena decided to take in the beauty of the forest that surrounded her. The last time she had been in the forest wasn't too long ago, as they had just recently journeyed through Kanto. However, she never really got the chance to take in the serenity of the place. Let's just say the last time she was here, there was a lot of running and screaming.

Although at first Serena wasn't exactly fond of Forests, it was in one that she first met Ash. This forest to be exact. And that had been the most life changing moment of her life. She let a smile spread across her face as she recalled the found memories of the past.

However, she was snapped out of her daydream when she heard what sounded like a twig break somewhere to her left, deeper in the forest.

Although it was most likely just a Ratata or another small, harmless pokemon, this still made Serena uneasy. Rather being safe than sorry, she decided to voice her concern.

"Hey guys, um, I just heard a noise coming from over there." Serena pointed to where she heard the twig snap. "It's probably nothing but given the circumstances, I thought it would be better if I said something."

"It's definitely better you said something. Thanks Serena." Ash commended her happily, still not thinking too much of the noise that he himself had not even heard.

"Just to be sure, everybody stand still and keep quiet. Let's see if we can hear anything." James suggested, to which everyone complied.

They stood in absolute silence for just a couple of minutes without hearing a sound.

"Well, whatever it was that you heard, it was probably heading in the other direction, because I can't hear anything." Paul said. Honestly, he thought it would have been strange had no one heard anything during their entire time in the forest. After all, this place was a home to various species of pokemon.

"You're probably right, let's just keep going." Serena stated, still feeling a bit uneasy. However, she just chalked that feeling up to being tired and in a typically not so safe area.

With that, the gang continued forward.

As the gang continued to walk, the sound of snapping branches begun again and this time, everyone heard it.

"I hear it." Ash announced, getting a series of head nods, suggesting the others heard as well.

"Come on guys, you know that it's probably nothing. I would really like to continue moving so we can get out of this damn forest." Paul said a bit angrily.

"But Paul, what if its something bad?" Dawn asked in fear.

"We didn't hear it when we stopped, but as soon as we started walking again, it came back. I don't like what that could entail..." Ash trailed off.

"You think whatever that is could be following us?" Brock asked his longtime friend, interpreting what he was saying. He got a serious look in response from Ash.

"I'm getting sick of this. You know what? I'm going to figure out exactly what's going on right now." Paul's anger was frustration was seeping through his tone. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he faced where the noise had originated. "Hey! Who ever or whatever is out there, show yourself before we let our pokemon lose on you!"

Immediately after Paul's threat, the sound of crunching footsteps could be heard rushing toward their current position. Bracing themselves for whatever could come out of the treeline, everyone had a hand on their pokeballs and Pikachu's cheeks were sparking in anticipation.

Ash was going to stand in front of the group to try and protect them as best he could, but when he saw their determined faces, he remembered that they were all very capable trainers that didn't always need saving. He knew that, at least at this time, they could protect themselves.

With each person hovering their hands over their most trusted pokemon's ball, the footsteps grew closer until finally, something emerged from the treeline.

A slightly chubby man dressed in casual traveling gear emerged with his hands up in defense. He looked to be in his mid 30's and wore a pair of thick glasses.

Everyone relaxed when they saw his appearance. Judging by how he looked, he was not a threat. He looked absolutely terrified at the danger that was nearly unleashed on him.

Paul stepped up in front of the group, his face harsh as stone as he yelled, "Who the hell are you and why were you following us?!"

The man flinched at Paul's harsh tone and stuttered for a while before finally finding his voice, "M-My name is Thomas! I-I was just traveling through the forest when I saw you all. I recognized you two, you're Paul and Ash from the Kanto league finals this year! I'm a huge fan of the both of you! And Pikachu! You are the all time coolest pokemon!"

"Pika Pi Pikachu" Pikachu said in embarrassment with a coy smile gracing his lips.

The man now known as Thomas let the fear fade from his face as it was replaced by complete excitement.

Thomas then turned his attention to May and Dawn, "And you two! You are two of the best coordinators around right now! I can't believe I'm actually getting to meet you!"

Finally, he looked toward Max, "And you're Max Maple. I've been following your career since you started! I knew that with who your father is that you were destined for great things. I know you'll make it big someday."

Unlike the others, this was Max's first time being recognized by a fan. To him, this was an incredible moment in his young career. No matter how poorly he did in his previous leagues, he actually felt like he accomplished something when a complete stranger praised him.

Thomas took a step towards the group, but was cut off by Paul and Ash.

"Well that's all well and good, but then explain to me why you were following us." Ash said coldly.

"And why were you trying to be all sneaky and hide yourself from us?' Paul spat however, their cold tones seemed to go unnoticed by Thomas who continued to smile bright.

He apparently did catch what they were asking as he put his hand behind his head in embarrassment as he giggled nervously.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you all uneasy. Truth is, I was just super nervous to meet all of you. I mean, you all are like, my idols. I was just trying to work up the nerve to show myself. That's the reason I was following you and was trying to be sneaky, which obviously didn't work." Thomas finished with a laugh that was met with forced chuckles from everyone but Paul.

"Well Thomas, you don't have to be nervous to meet us. Honestly, we're just like everyone else." May spoke happily. Having a fan praise her really boosted her ego. Dawn was feeling a similar way.

"Thanks, it's really great to meet you all. I'm a huge fan of all of you." Thomas stated

"Yeah, well, it was nice to meet you Thomas, but we really have to be going now. We really don't want to be in the forest by the time night comes." Brock said.

"Oh, okay but, um...do you think I could tag along, maybe? Just until we get out of the forest. You see, I'm kind of lost" Thomas finished while twiddling his thumbs.

During the entire meeting, Paul never let up his glare on Thomas. He wasn't sure why, but he really just couldn't stand this guy, yet he had no real reason too.

"I don't see why not. What do you say guys?" Max asked. He received various head nods and 'yeah's' in return. Only James, Ash, Meowht and Paul looked slightly hesitant. They were on a very sensitive mission here and having Thomas with them could hinder things a bit.

"Wow, thanks a lot you guys. You just saved me from being stuck in here forever." Thomas announced, obviously relieved.

"Not a problem. I think you and Ash have something in common, and that's a horrible sense of direction." Max joked, earning laughs from the group. All except Paul, Ash and James who only let out a cold, forced laugh. They seemed to be the only ones concerned that this guy could possibly hinder their progress through the forest. However, Ash was always a nice guys, willing to give everyone a chance. With this in mind, he told himself that he would be friendly with the guy. However, the same couldn't be said for James or Paul.

With that, the gang resumed walking. Following and trusting Brock to lead them out of the greenery.

"So, what brings you all up this way?" Thomas asked, hoping to up strike a conversation.

"None of your business!" Paul screamed, earning a slap to the back of his head by both Dawn and Serena.

"Paul, be nice!" Serena spoke motherly. Paul frowned and rubbed the pain from the back of his head.

Thomas looked a bit hurt as he realized that Paul didn't seem to like him. Ash also noticed that he seemed to still be looking for an answer to his question, something he wasn't exactly comfortable with giving out.

"Um, we're just going on nice, long vacation. After all, we had a long couple of weeks before this." Ash said, hoping that he would by his lie. Luckily for Ash, not only did Thomas seem to buy it, but his friends caught on to the fact that he didn't want the real mission to be let out.

"Oh yeah, definitely! Sounds awesome! So, we're are you guys going?" Thomas inquired.

"Saffron!" Both Ash and Brock yelled at the same time. They all gave a satisfied look to each other, thanking their lucky stars that they had all picked the same place.

"Yeah,uh, we have some friends up there we want to visit." Dawn added.

Thomas seemed to accept the answer as they continued on.

Luckily for the group, the next 45 minutes of the walk was filled with pretty feeble conversation. However, after that 45 minute jaunt, Thomas was showing signs of heavy fatigue.

Noticing this, Brock spoke, "You going to be alright Thomas?"

Catching his breath, Thomas glanced at Brock, "Yeah, sorry. I was wondering around for hours before I saw you guys. I guess I'm just a little worn out. I hate to do this, but do you think we could stop for a few minutes. I think I see a big clearing up ahead which should do us quite nicely."

"I don't know Thomas, we're kind of in a hurry." Serena said.

Thomas, who still hadn't regained his breath completely, fell to his knees and begged, "I know this is a burden, but I just need a little time. Please!"

"Listen punk, you're lucky that we even let you come with u-" Paul was cut off by Max's hand.

"We'll stop for five minutes. I'm sure everyone could use a bit of a break." Max stated.

Paul was agitated for not only having to stop, but also because he was cut off by Max. Ash and James were a bit hesitant as well, but decided that such a short break shouldn't really effect anything.

With most everyone on the same page, the group found its way to the large clearing that Thomas mentioned. It was a bit strange to see a place with no trees in such a dense forest, but the increased amount of sunlight that seeped through the cover-less top was welcomed openly.

Thomas rushed ahead of the group and took a seat directly in the middle of the clearing. The rest of the group opted to stand somewhat near the man as they weren't all that tired.

"So Thomas, do you have any pokemon?" Max inquired.

"Of course! I have plenty, though I only have 5 with me at the moment. Do you want to see them?" Thomas asked in return.

"Sure!" Max exclaimed excitedly. It was a little unnerving for the group that Max seemed to be getting so attached to this guy.

"Everyone, come on out!" Thomas yelled as he threw his five pokeballs, releasing his pokemon. He had a Nidoking, a Golbat, a Linoone, a Dodrio, and a powerful looking Aggron.

The second Thomas' pokemon were released, Pikachu grew angry as he glared at each and every one of them, his cheeks sparking with powerful electricity.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" Ash asked his partner. Though he had a pretty good feeling why Pikachu was acting this way. Ash thought it was most likely because these pokemon were giving off an aura that Pikachu did not like.

This theory was only confirmed as Lucario released herself from her ball and began glaring at the pokemon across from it as well. At this point, Ash's alertness was heightened. He kept his cool however, as it could very well be that both Pikachu and Lucario sensed powerful opponents and wanted to battle them.

"Wow, those are some tough looking pokemon." Brock praised, ignoring the other pokemon.

"Thanks, I've been a pretty casual trainer for years now. I don't really ever go for tournaments or anything, I just enjoy bonding with my pokemon." Thomas responded.

"That's very respectable. I know, we should have a battle!" Max declared.

"Max, we don't have time for that. We have to be leaving very soon." Ash reminded the young boy.

Max put on a pouting face, "Come on Ash, it won't take long."

Ash was going to respond, but Thomas beat him to it. Standing up and placing a hand on Max's shoulder, he spoke, "Actually Max, I think Ash is right. I don't want to get us all stuck in here for the night. How about next time we meet?"

Max looked disappointed, but eventually nodded his head in agreement. While this was going on, Paul, James and Meowth all migrated to Ash's side away from the girls, Max and Thomas as they watched Lucario and Pikachu continue to growl at Thomas' pokemon.

James leaned in close and whispered in Ash's ear, "Ash, what's going on here?"

Thomas took his hand of the boy's shoulder and turned to face the group of girls. He approached them slightly with a smile spread across his face.

"Hey May, Dawn! We haven't really talked much since we met. I'm just such a big fan, I thought you should know what I like so much about the both of you."

"I don't know, but I don't think I like it." Ash said loud enough for just James, Meowth and Paul to hear. "It's probably nothing, they probably just want to battle, but stay on your toes just in case. We don't know if someone is out there."

May and Dawn were flattered by what Thomas was saying, while Misty and Serena looked like they were about to puke. Whether it be out of Jealousy or something else, was unknown. Thomas made his way closer to the girls until they were only a few feet apart.

"I'm getting a really strange vibe too Ash. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't feel good." Meowth added.

"May let's start with what I like the most about you. Why I'm such a big fan..."

"I have never seen your pokemon act like this when they want to battle. Are you sure that could be why they're doing this?" Paul asked.

"I don't know Paul, I've never seen this either. I'm really don't think this is just because they want to battle." Ash responded nervously.

"...Well for starters, your combinations are incredible. But it was something else that dragged me in..." Thomas' smile turned into a smirk.

"Then, are they...?" James started. Their eyes then scanned their way over to where the girls and Thomas were standing. Seeing him so close to them made the group of men slightly nervous. If Ash's pokemon were acting like this towards Thomas', then what does that mean?

They had a hunch.

"...It was your absolute beauty. So pure and innocent. I'll tell you, the TV sure doesn't do your curves justice, I mean wow!" Thomas finished, creeping May and the others out greatly.

"And Dawn, your ass is just incredible. I just feel the need to give you a hug and a squeeze!" Thomas said this as he captured Dawn in a hug, to which she didn't return, and used both hands to squeeze her backside.

Letting out a cry, Dawn panicked, struggling to find a way out of Thomas' arms. May started hitting the man, but he seemed to be completely ignoring whatever pain she was inflicting.

Ash saw the whole thing happen. As soon as he did he sprinted as fast as he could over to Dawn.

"Get off of her you son of a bitch!" With all the power he could muster, he ripped Thomas away from Dawn and punched him as hard as he could in the face.

Thomas recoiled heavily as Ash shook the pain from his hand. He thought he had landed a solid punch, but right as he was about to check on Dawn, he heard what sounded like a...laugh.

Much to his surprise, Thomas slowly brought his head back up, laughing the entire way. Even though his nose was bloodied, he still held a sadistic grin on his face.

All anyone could do was look on in shock and horror as Thomas began to stop laughing.

"Oh Ketchum... You hit like a pussy." With that, Thomas landed his own punch on Ash, grabbed him around the neck and pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at his head in one swift motion. "Reach for anything and I blow his brains out!"

Thomas' words froze everyone in their tracks.

Both Pikachu and Lucario witnessed what was happening to their trainer. The two were about to rush to his aid when all of Thomas' pokemon blocked their path. At that moment, they knew.

They were in for a fight.

"Ash!" Serena, May, Dawn, and Misty all screamed.

Luckily for them, Ash wasn't knocked unconscious from the hit he had taken, he was only slightly dazed.

"Thomas, why are you doing this? I thought you were our fan!" Max yelled, to which Thomas scoffed.

"Please, like I would be a fan of the likes of you. I'm just doing this for a major payday. But I don mean what I said about you May and Dawn. Anytime you want, just come and find me. Blondey there can come too. We can all have a little fun together." Thomas stated, disgusting everyone present.

"Don-Don't talk to them like that." Ash struggled out. It was clear that he was still dazed from the hard hit he took.

"HA! Last time I checked, I was the one with the gun! And as the one with the gun, I get to make the rules here!" Thomas screamed.

Paul was moving his eyes frantically from place to place, mumbling to himself, "Major payday. That means..." Paul then locked eyes with the mad man. "You're part of Team Rocket, aren't you? Answer me you bastard!"

"Oh, looks like we got a real genius over here. Yeah, so what. Does it really make a difference at this point if I am or not?" Thomas asked Rhetorically.

"But we read the note! Giovanni said that he wanted Ash to himself. So why are you here with a gu-gun to his head?" May struggled to get the last words out of her mouth.

"I don't have to tell you anything, but I will say this. Giovanni doesn't give two shits if he's the one that kills you. He just wants Ketchum dead. End of story." Thomas spoke aggressively.

"So then why not just kill me now and let the others go?" Ash said, still sounding hazy.

"Ash!" Everyone yelled in horror.

Thomas laughed, "HAHA! Bold. I like that. The reason is because if I kill you now, then what leverage do I have over your 'little gang' to not hurt me or come after me? That's why I'll have my pokemon take care of them before I end your pathetic life."

Everyone looked over to see Lucario and Pikachu struggling against five opponents. Th worry was evident on everyone's faces. If only they could release another pokemon to go and help, but they couldn't dare to risk Ash's life like that.

However, that didn't stop an idea from springing into Meowth's mind. Although he doesn't always act like it, he was still a pokemon. And even one more pokemon could help even the playing field.

He patiently waited for an opportune moment to slip away undetected and help Pikachu and Lucario, which he found when Thomas forced everyone to put their pokeballs on the ground.

Pikachu had just taken a heavy slam from the Aggron, which luckily did very little damage. As he skid to a halt and got back to his feet, he saw Meowth, poised and ready to battle.

Meowth looked over at Pikachu and smiled, "Come on, we have a friend to save."

With that said, Lucario, Meowth and Pikachu took on the impossible.

Back with the others, Thomas started slowly backing away from the group in front of him, Ash still in his grasp with a pistol to his head.

"As soon as my pokemon start in on you, we're out of here. So you may want to say your goodbye's now, because you'll never see this prick again." Thomas said, gesturing to Ash.

By this point, nearly everyone was crying. The only ones keeping a somewhat level head were Brock and Paul. Everyone else, including James was a nervous wreck. They had almost lost Ash once and now, they were going to lose him again.

As this was going on, Ash was finally starting to break out of his haze. He was fully aware of the situation he was in and yet, he was in a state of complete and total serenity. He looked from his group of broken friends to his pokemon taking on what now looked to be only four of Thomas' pokemon.

These were the things that broke him out of his state of calm. Without panicking, Ash began to attempt to formulate a plan. However, it was a bit difficult yo do anything with a gun pointed at your skull. He could only think of one thing to do at this point. Something he remembered seeing on TV back when he was younger. Although that situation didn't include a gun to the man's head, but it was his only chance.

Gathering up his thoughts and courage, Ash made a move. He reared his head back as fast as he could, successfully hitting Thomas square in the nose with his head. As he did this, a shot rang out, sending a ringing throughout Ash's ears. He thanked God at that moment that Thomas was nearly as tall as himself, or that would have gone poorly.

Although Thomas had shown that shots to his face don't typically affect him, all Ash needed was that little flinch or reaction to slip out of his grasp. Something he was happy to say, worked.

He quickly twisted out of Thomas' grip and spun around, toward the arm that held the gun. Grabbing his wrist, Ash applied pressure, forcing the gun to fall from his grip. This now left neither man with a weapon.

At this point, Ash thought he could hear his friends screaming out to him, but the ringing in his ears and his current laser focus on the task at hand temporarily deafened him.

Without missing a beat, Ash took the arm that used to house the weapon and with all the strength he could muster, brought it done upon his own leg, effectively snapping it. Ash assumed the crunching and snapping of the bones in his forearm were gruesome,as well as what he thought were screams of pain coming from Thomas. However, he himself couldn't hear these sounds as the ringing in his ears deafened him.

Finally gaining the ability to move, Paul, Brock and James came rushing to Ash's aid, pushing Thomas to the ground.

Ash still had complete control over Thomas' broken arm and he was showing no mercy. Once Thomas was on the ground, Ash continued to contort and bend the arm in the most painful ways possible. Paul had also taken it upon himself to make sure that Thomas was totally unconscious. He accomplished this by continuously beating his head into the dirty forest floor.

It was around this time that people realized that the pokemon still needed help. May, Serena and Misty all ran up to the slew of pokeballs on the ground and grabbed as many as they could, preparing to toss them.

However, when they looked over at the battle, there were only three pokemon still standing. A noble Lucario, A smart and strong Pikachu and a brave Meowth. These three pokemon successfully defeated five opponents at once. Misty could help but smile at the showing of strength and determination those three pokemon showed during that battle.

"Hey, does anyone have a pokemon that knows string shot?" Brock yelled over to the group.

May responded, picking up a specific pokeball, "Yeah, go Beautify! Tie that man up from head to toe!"

James literally had to pull Paul off of Thomas for him to stop beating his head into the ground before Beautify came to tie him up. Ash also made sure that his arm was in the worst possible position it could be so that when he woke up, he would be in for a world of pain.

Soon, Thomas was tied up by the extra strong bindings of string shot. He wasn't going anywhere unless someone else would cut him out. It was around this time that Ash started to feel a hot liquid running into his eye and down his face. Knowing what it had to be before he even saw it, he put his head down as to not worry everyone and dug into his jacket to pull out the portable video phone.

He then handed it over to Brock without showing his face just yet who seemed to know what he wanted him to do.

Brock hit the only button on the device and a dialing tone could be heard and soon, Professor Oak's face popped up on the small screen.

"Ah, Brock. It's good to see you." Oak said.

"Professor, pardon my rudeness, but you need to call an Officer Jenny and tell them that there is a criminal in a large clearing near the north side of Viridian Forest. He's tied up so he won't be going anywhere." Brock stated quickly.

Oak looked worried, "Brock, is everything okay? What happened?"

Brock sighed, not wanting to give the full story at the moment, "Professor, I promise I will tell you everything after you call Officer Jenny. For now I'll just say that Ash and us were attacked by a member of Team Rocket. Call me back after you call Officer Jenny."

Brock hung up the phone, not waiting for a reply. He fell to his knees slowly and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

At this point, Ash's ears were beginning to ring less and less, but blood continued to pour down his face. He knew he needed to be patched up, but he knew that this injury would look worse than it was and freak everyone out. It was really just a small cut on his forehead where he was grazed by the bullet, but foreheads tend to bleed...a lot.

His hearing was coming back at a faster rate now and he could now hear the cries of some of the others. Soon, he was tackled into a hug by what he could only assume was all of the his friends.

The seemed to pile onto his back, crying into his shirt and holding him tightly. He could now tell by their cries that it was most likely only the girls that had been on him, something he couldn't verify with blood in his eyes.

He was at a point where he couldn't take the burning in his eyes anymore; He needed to get cleaned up.

"Could I, uh, get up please?" Ash asked as nicely as possible. With hesitancy, each woman let go of Ash as he prepared to turn around.

"Hey, Brock." Ash said before turning around, revealing his bloodied face, "I think I'm going to need some stitches."

"Oh my God Ash, your bleeding so much!" May stated as she began crying again. "Please be okay!"

She pulled him close once again, ignoring the blood that was dripping onto her clothing. Pushing her off for the time being, Ash spoke, "May, I'm fine. The bullet only grazed me, foreheads just bleed a lot. Isn't that right Brock?"

Brock nodded, "He's right. The head had a lot of blood vessels, which causes the copious amount of blood flow. That being said, I still need to check and make sure it's not too serious. Ash, come over here and let me get you cleaned up."

Ash made his way over to Brock, who was grabbing for his canteen of water and a washcloth. Brock motioned for him to sit down, to which he complied.

Dampening the cloth, Brock went to work wiping the blood from Ash's face. However. He soon realized that one cloth would not be enough. He had successfully wiped the blood from the lower half of his face, but he would need a second, maybe even a third cloth to clean the rest.

Finally, all that was still visible on Ash's face was the long, somewhat deep cut present just below his hair line.

"About 6 centimeters long. Kind of deep too." Brock mumbled to himself as he continued to wipe the smaller amounts of blood still coming from the wound.

"So...stitches?" Ash asked.

Brock nodded his head, "Definitely. We need to get this closed up. But as soon as we do that, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay, so just shoot him up with some numbing stuff and get to work. I'm really not comfortable being around this bastard anymore. I just want to get a move on." Misty complained, motioning toward the still unconscious Thomas.

Brock sighed, "I don't have any 'numbing stuff,' as you called it."

Ash's eyes widened, "Are you kidding me Brock! You're a traveling pokemon doctor! How can you not have Novocaine with you?!"

"The only time pokemon doctors use Novocaine or other anesthetics is when a pokemon needs surgery. Something that I can't exactly do on the go. I never thought I would need it, so I don't carry it with me." Brock explained.

"So what happens if I wait until we get to Viridian to get this done?" Ash inquired.

"There's no way we're going to get there today so, I'd say pretty high chance of infection. Something we really don't have time to worry about right now. I can disinfect it as much as possible but with how much we're going to be outside for the next 24 hours, I'd say we need to close that up right now."

"Brock, do you even have the equipment necessary to give the stitches?" Paul asked.

Brock shrugged his shoulders, "Kind of...I don't have what I would normally use to give stitches, but I do have a sewing kit."

Ash sighed, "Fine, just do it. Serena, can you grab me a stick from over there."

Ash pointed to a pile of small fallen branches. Serena didn't hesitate to get it for him, but she didn't understand why he wanted a stick in the first place.

Serena gave Ash the stick, "here you go Ash, but why do you need it anyway?"

"It's for me to bite on because, pardon the language, but this is going to hurt like a bitch." Ash explained. He placed the stick in between his teeth and bit down as Brock prepared the needle and thread.

Trying to lighten the mood, Brock smiled, "Any color preference?"

However, Ash just gave Brock a cold stare in response. He guessed the oncoming pain made his sense of humor go temporarily dormant.

Brock wiped the smile from his face, picking a color that would fit the situation, "Black it is..."

"Alright Ash, here we go. You ready?" Brock asked. Ash closed his eyes hard and nodded his head.

As the needle first broke the sensitive skin around the wound, Ash let out a high growl, but controlled himself from that point forward.

Paul had opted to watch, trying to learn how to do this if it was ever necessary while the others had opted not to.

It wasn't long after trying to find something else to look at that May saw her brother, looking downcast while sitting at the base of a tree.

Walking up to him, she crouched to his level, "Max, I know that was scary, but it's over now. We're all okay."

Max only kept his head down, "It's not that..."

"Then what is it?"

Max continued to keep his head down, mumbling quietly. So quiet that May could not hear him. "Max, what are you saying?"

Max abruptly raised his head, tears welling up in his eyes, "It's my fault this happened!"

To say May was confused would be an understatement, "What do you mean, Max? How could this be your fault?"

The shouting grabbed the attention of Serena and Dawn as Max let tears fall from his eyes. "If I wouldn't have been so stupid, that guy wouldn't even have been with us!"

"Max-"

"NO! Don't try to tell me it's not my fault because it is! Just because this guy knew my name, I allowed him to come with us!" Max screamed.

At this point, both Dawn and Serena had converged to where Max and May were, and were listening intently, waiting for a chance to help.

May took Max's shoulders in her grasp, "Listen to me Max. There was no way you could have known who that guy really was. It seemed like it was just your first fan! I remember when someone first recognized me, my ego was so inflated that I thought I could do anything. The same thing just happened to you."

"I guess, but-" Max was cut off by Dawn, whom May and Max had just noticed was there with them.

"No buts! She's right, you know. And even if we hadn't let him come with us, he still would have followed us and attacked us that way. The end result would have been no different no matter what happened." Dawn explained.

"As much as I hate to say it, this just showed us that we;'re being too trusting. Something I thought would never be a problem in the world we live in. But if we want to help Ash, then we need to be careful about who we trust from now on. So Max, it wasn't your fault. We just need to keep moving forward and learn form what happened," Serena added.

Max looked from person to person before a small smile formed on his face. "Thanks you guys. Really."

The girls all smiled back until their attention was captured by a scream. Turning to where they heard the scream come form, they realized that the culprit was Misty, who was watching Brock finish up Ash's stitches.

"Ahh. That's so gross! And you can feel everything too!" Misty announced just as Brock pulled the last stitch.

As soon as Brock finished wiping the blood from the newly closed wound, Ash spat the twig from his mouth and started panting.

Still feeling some pain, Ash glared at Misty, "Did you really have to say all that. It was bad enough actually having to go through it, but you talking about it just mad it worse!"

"Oh shut up Ketchum, be a man." Misty joked, making Ash slightly angry.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that I'm not the one that just got shot, AGAIN! Not only that, but I just got stitches, without Novocaine, so I don't want to-" Ash was cut off as Misty pulled him into a hug.

Surprised by the action, Ash didn't return the hug right away. He only did so after he heard Misty speak softly, "I'm glad your okay..."

Seeing this made the other girls slightly jealous, but it was obvious to see that this was just an embrace of two best friends who cared deeply for each other.

Releasing the hug, Ash felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked over to see a slightly worn Pikachu. By his side was both Lucario and Meowth.

"Thanks a lot you guys. If you hadn't been able to defeat those pokemon, I don't think we would have gotten out of this." Ash then turned his attention solely to Meowth. "Especially you Meowth. By you going over to help the others, you bettered the odds. You're a big part of why we got out of this alive."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Even Lucario gave a cool head nod, showing her appreciation.

Meowth smiled and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Ah, it was nothing. Just doing what a Meowth's gotta do." Ash then returned Lucario to her ball

"Speaking of the other pokemon, what should we do about them?" James asked.

"Don't worry about it, I returned them all to their balls. Officer Jenny will pick them up when they come for this guy." Tracey reassured the group, gaining nods from the group.

"Well, we need to talk about what just happened here and what might happen in the future. We know now that Giovanni isn't the only Rocket we have to worry about. They're after us now, all of us." Paul said.

Sighing, Ash turned away from the group, "We'll talk about it on the way. I just want to get out of this God forsaken forest."

With that said, the group took off once again, leaving Thomas behind to be found by Officer Jenny.

**A/N: What's going to happen to the group after this first encounter with the Rockets? I don't know but it can't be good!**

**Also, I would like to personally thank the man that has been beta reading for the last few chapters. SuperGv88. ****He's also been a big help for me getting exposure to my story and I can't thank him enough. **A lot of you probably know him from his story, "Get Ready Kalos" (which is a great read btw). I just wanted to shout him out so that anyone that hasn't heard of him could go check out another great story!

**Also, make sure to vote in the poll on my page. This will be the last chapter that it is up before another question is poised. DO IT!**

**Chapter 10 baby! Double digits! We also passed the 10,000 view mark! Thank you all so much for reading my inaugural fan fiction. Things got a bit "M rated" this chapter and because of that, this story will now be bumped up to an M rating. I hope you all continue to stick around for the next chapter of, "A Trial of Will." See Ya! **


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